Into The Black
by RhysThornbery
Summary: An incredible discovery prompts Harry and Hermione to venture into the unknown. Hoping to discover new worlds and bring home a certain lost Godfather. However they get a lot more than they bargained for when they step into this brave new world. A Galactic scale war, aliens and betrayal lie beyond. Tentatively rate T, may be raised to M if necessary. On Hiatus.
1. Prologue

"Death Chamber"  
Department of Mysteries  
Ministry of Magic  
London England

Hermione Jane Granger, a young twenty two year old woman of remarkable intelligence, did not like to think of herself in terms of stereotypes. She did not like to think she was a stereotypical woman, or a stereotypical academic. In fact she just hated stereotyping in general, too often it led to flawed analysis and poor judgement calls. Not to mention the fact she'd been on the receiving end of negative bias and such more times than she cared to remember.

So, when she was sitting at a desk, in one of the study galleries set up around the periphery of the so called "Death Chamber" of the Department of Mysteries and she had her great epiphany, she really had to work hard to stifle the urge to shout _Eureka_ as all her hard work and study came together in a wonderful discovery.

She was practically shaking with excitement as she realized the magnitude of what she'd just proven with all her hard work and cautiously looked around to check no one was watching her. It was a good thing she'd refrained from breaking the stifling silence of the Chamber with a jubilant cry, as that likely would have drawn the sector supervisor.

And she didn't want that; the man was notorious for his habit of claiming credit for the work of those within his domain. Not that it seemed to truly avail him of anything. The man had been trapped in his dead end position…She sighed as that unintended pun took form in her mind, and carefully did what she could to conceal what she'd found by tidying away her reference manuals into their shelf and her notes into her bag.

She needed to take this to her boss, the head of the Department. He was the only one who'd be able to confirm what she had found without risk of taking credit for her work. Saul Croaker was many things, but he'd never be accused of stealing credit from his subordinates.

She wrote up the critical points of her discovery and folded them before stowing them away in her bag with the rest, and getting up to leave. She nodded amiably to the hovering vulture and made her escape. It was good that it was about time to take her morning coffee break anyway.

She was confident she knew what the outcome of her meeting with her boss would be. Saul had been a very enthusiastic sponsor for her efforts thus far. If she were correct in her interpretations…which she was confident she was. Then she'd have a lot of work to do. She'd need to tell Harry! He'd be ecstatic she was sure. She could probably catch him at home sometime in the evening. Maybe he'd even be willing to help her?

At that notion she paused, She'd also need to tell Ron. That'd be a somewhat more tricky proposition she knew. Her…boyfriend, was always a touch volatile, she'd need to see about catching him when he was in a good mood. And Merlin knew she knew how to do that! Ask him during a meal. Maybe if his mood was good enough she could solicit his assistance too?"

She paced through the maze of corridors which constituted her work place eventually ending up at her superior's office door, hesitating briefly before knocking gently at the door. A moment later a voice called for her to enter, and she did so.

She steeled herself as she approached her boss' desk. This was it, show time.

* * *

Some Hours Later  
Hermione's Apartment  
Belsize park, London  
England

Hermione flinched slightly as the door closed with a snap, and she flipped the lock. The deadbolt sliding into place and the wards activating with them. That flinch was soon followed by a wince as something bounced off the wards over the door with a dull gonging noise.

She couldn't help but tear up at what had just happened. Though she chastised herself that she should have known it was coming, should have expected it.

She'd truly done her best to ensure her boyfriend's good mood: invited him over for dinner after work and made him a decent meal.

She'd settled him down at the table, and let him get through his whole first course before she interrupted to talk about her discovery. Only to be hurt when he'd been less than interested in it. In fact his whole attitude towards the matter and her stated motivations was…cavalier. He'd even expressed skepticism about the accuracy of her findings.

Her! They'd known each other for years, and had she ever not done her work when it really mattered? Not only that, as she'd remonstrated him, she'd had her work checked by her superiors and they agreed with her conclusions.

They had even checked her translations themselves. He had merely dismissed it, stating that her superiors were barking mad anyways.

She had pressed on, ignoring his casual disdain for the academic for the moment. Explaining that they had granted permission for her to put together an expedition to confirm everything beyond a shadow of a doubt.

He had actually snorted in derision, spraying a bit of food across the table. She had thought they'd largely worked past that in her efforts to improve his table manners. His description of people who would even consider going on such a thing had been…less than complimentary. She recalled the word daft had been in there twice as well as bloody mental three times.

To say she was rather put out with him, considering she was the default lead for such an expedition, was a massive understatement. She wasn't certain if it was truly to his credit that he'd been embarrassed when she pointed out he'd just insulted her.

She'd noted, as she pushed away her own food, decidedly at a loss for appetite, that she had hoped her boyfriend would like to come with her.

He'd told her in no uncertain terms there was no way in hades that he'd be going on such a trip. She suspected this was largely due to her boyfriend's love of personal comforts, something such a trip would be lacking in.

He'd then had the audacity to try and talk her out of the expedition herself, calling it bloody stupid nonsense.

She had then explained, rather acidly that she couldn't in fact back out now, even if she wanted to. Largely due to the fact that she'd been the one pushing for it. And that if she backed out now, people would claim that she didn't really believe her own work, or that she was lazy for not following through because it wasn't personally convenient to subject herself to such a thing.

She'd then pointed out, that her bosses had no time for those working for them when they were not willing to take the risks associated with making discoveries. If she backed out there was a good chance she'd lose her job.

Ron had decided that then was a good time to revive an old argument. Stating that she was bloody mental to be wasting her time working there anyways.  
She hadn't taken kindly to that assertion. But he'd rode over her stating that she shouldn't be an Unspeakable in the first place. She'd rather acidly asked him, what he in his oh so infinite wisdom, he believed she should do with her time instead.

Ron at least had the decency to frame it in less insulting terms, but his ideal vision for what his girlfriend - and future wife as he kept hinting - belonged only in a handful of places and two of those places were in the kitchen or the bedroom. She'd had to use all of her restraint not to fireball him right there in her dining room.

She'd glared at him for a solid minute in which time he'd wilted somewhat. She'd told him quite bluntly, that it was never going to happen.

Then his Weasley temper had come out to play. He'd actually been stupid enough to try and shout her down and dictate to her what she was going to do, prefacing it by stating that if she wanted them to stay together she'd comply.

At which point she'd had her second epiphany of the day. This was it, this was what her life would be like if she stayed with him. One long, argument over every little thing, with screaming rows any time she stood up to him. She realized quite suddenly that, no she really didn't want to stay with him.

"Get out then." She'd instructed plainly getting to her feet and indicating the door. He had blinked at her in confusion, apparently that had not been what his two speed grey matter had been expecting because he sort of stalled out and stared blankly at her for a minute. She'd had to reiterate the command before his brain seemed to reengage.

To which his response had been. "But I'm still eating. Come on Hermy, just calm down okay? We'll talk about this once I've finished—"

She had lost it at his insistence upon using that hated nickname. Needless to say within fifteen short seconds he'd found himself out the door in his socks, his belongings stacked in his arms, flabbergasted as she told him they were over and slammed the door in his face.

Which brought her to now, listening to him scream abuse as he threw things at the wards over the door. Maybe asking her…friends to come with her was a bad idea. Her own boyfrie—former boyfriend had turned her down, what hope did she have of convincing her best friend? Was she even right to ask him?

Oh, Harry had the skills needed to help in her little expedition, but that wasn't why she wanted him along. She wanted him for his company. He was her friend, and they'd been through so much together. It was only natural she thought to have him along.

She shook her head. No, one way or the other she needed to tell him she was leaving on this, possibly dangerous, adventure. Though she decided that she'd refrain from asking him along. After that latest humiliating exercise with Ron, she didn't feel like opening herself up to being hurt like that again.

She waited there in the entryway, just to be sure Ron didn't rub his braincells together enough to remember he actually had a key, watching the clock she'd had commissioned to keep track of the other members of the Golden Trio. It was very similar to the clock the Weasley clan kept in the kitchen at the Burrow. Except this one kept track of only three people. Herself, Harry and Ron. Though she was now seriously considering stalking over to the clock and ripping out the indicator for Ron. Soon enough the verbal bombardment from the other side of the door stopped and one last object bounced off the wards and the indicator turned to land on travelling and then "The Burrow". Figured he'd run to mummy after that little tantrum.

The teary eyed brunette pulled out her wand and adjusted the wards via the stone she kept concealed in the lockbox in the wall behind the clock. Ron, any Weasley in fact, were no longer allowed through her wards. She considered putting off going to see Harry, but decided against it. If she did the Weasley's would be all over him like white on rice soon enough.

She directed a spell to clean away the detritus of dinner, she'd deal with what was left when she got back, and pulled on her coat. She was glad now that she thought of it, that she'd changed the wards. It would be just like Ron to figure it out while she was gone and let himself in. She really did not wish to come home to find him waiting for another argument.

She locked the door behind her as she left and apparated away. She needed to see her best friend.

* * *

Harry Potter's Apartment  
South Kensington, London  
England

It was dark out when she left her apartment and arrived outside her friend's, considering it was autumn after all. She had apparated to the safe zone Harry had set up outside the building, so long as she appeared within it the muggles wouldn't notice a thing. Still she waited until she was certain that she wouldn't startle anyone before leaving the small warded space and approaching the building. Entering past the doorman, who she nodded to, before she headed up to her friend's flat. It said something that she visited enough that the doorman immediately recognized her and accepted she was always welcome.

Harry basically owned the top floor of the apartment building - excepting the service staircase which led up onto the roof - so she didn't have to look around for his door once she reached his floor. It was literally the only door on that level. Harry simply couldn't stand being at Grimmauld place after the war. He'd soon moved out and moved up as it were.

She paced up to the dark wooden door and knocked. There was a notable pause then a call of "I'll be right there, just a minute!" through the wood. She settled in to wait, and was gratified that it really was only a short time before the little light visible in the aperture of the door winked out and the door cracked open revealing her long time friend.

He was smiling, but he must have noticed her less than stellar appearance, tear stained and bleary eyed after her fight with Ron, as he sobered quickly. "Hey Mione, come on in." He instructed kindly stepping aside to permit her through.

The door closed with a click behind her and she heard to locks switching back as she undid her coat. Harry helped her out of her jacket and hung it up in the closet while she worked on her shoes.

Harry was good like that, if there was one benefit to be gained from his miserable years at Privet Drive it was his almost obsessive gentlemanly behaviour. Not that she would be thanking his relatives for it.

"You know, you don't need to knock right?" He teased, clearly hoping to lighten her mood somewhat. "I gave you that key for a reason."

She nodded, smiling slightly to herself as she nudged the shoes onto the mat by the door with her foot. "I know, but I don't like to intrude, and besides what if you and Ginny were occupied." Had she not been watching her shoes at the time she would have seen the slight frown that had generated.

But she continued on oblivious, she was surprised in all honesty, usually when she visited Harry, she ran into Ginny as well. The girl was rarely at her own place except to sleep and shower as she understood it.

She suspected she must have been fortunate enough to catch him on a night Ginny wasn't lurking if the red head wasn't already all over them, 'subtly' giving off an aura of "back off he's mine!" Well, subtle for Ginny that was. Which basically meant that the only person not aware of her behaviour was Harry. Bless his oblivious little heart.

"So, Ginny not around?" She asked finally looking up.

He rubbed uncomfortably at the back of his head. "Yeah, no, she's out of town on business last I heard."

Business, well that was one name for it she supposed. Ginny played seeker for the Holyhead Harpies. If she was out of town it was for another game, or an exhibition or another one of the thousand of fundraisers and society events they were expected to attend.

But her mind had caught onto that last little bit of what he'd said and she quirked an eyebrow at him. "The last you had heard?" She asked mildly baffled, had they had their own fight? Another one?

He sighed, "Yeah, me and Ginny had a fight, we're on a break right now. Haven't heard from her in weeks."

She wasn't sure how that made her feel and decided to ignore the question for the moment. Harry apparently was all too happy to exploit her silence and press onto another topic. "So, what's wrong Mione, you come to my door when you've clearly been crying…"

She waved that off, "It's nothing important…" She tried but stopped when he frowned.

"What did he do this time?" He asked in exasperation. He saw her slightly guilty look and he explained. "You and Ron fought again right? What did the berk do this time?"

She smirked a bit, he apparently knew her as well as she knew him. "Yes, we fought again. And yes it has to do with why I'm here." she admitted ruefully.

Hermione watched in interest as his face took on a slightly guarded cast. She suspected she had a reasonable notion of why he was suddenly on watch. Knowing Harry he was likely wondering if Ron was in one of his moods again, and demanding they not spend so much time together. It was a reasonable concern, Ron had done it before, though she'd ignored him. He was far too prone to jealousy, to indulging in his every insecurity or self-perceived inadequacies. If she did that she'd never get to do anything.

Harry shook his head tiredly. "Shouldn't be surprised I suppose, I don't know anybody who is as skilled at making you cry as Ron." He noted a touch bitterly.  
She paused, considering the sad truth of that statement. Maybe that should have been your first warning sign Hermione? a little voice in the back of her head pointed out sternly.

Harry straightened up, seeming to realize something. "Oh, I'm sorry, would you like to come into the living room?" He offered, gesturing sheepishly through the doorway beside him.

She nodded thankfully, and he turned to lead the familiar way. Despite his not inconsiderable wealth, thanks to what he'd inherited from his parents and Godfather, Harry's house was not an overly lavish affair. What he had was well built and tasteful, but not extravagant. One might have expected someone who had lived most of their life in a state of pseudo-poverty to have gone a bit overboard when they finally found wealth, but not Harry.

On the on the rug in living room, in front of the small fireplace lay Harry's new familiar. It had taken him years to get over losing Hedwig in the last war, but he'd stumbled across Juno on one of his raids. Juno was already a bright animal, being a border collie, but with the familiar enchantments upon her she was probably smarter than Ron on a good day…

The dog shifted it's head to watch her enter the room and her tail thumped against the floor enthusiastically in greeting. "Hello Juno, you been looking after our friend here?" She asked rhetorically.

The dog raised an eyebrow at her and chuffed before allowing her tail to return to thumping happily. That was the equivalent of an _of course, what else would I be doing? He's Harry!  
_  
Harry smiled at their antics and led her over to the couch and offered her a seat. She settled on the comfortable dark leather affair and smiled when Juno got up, stretched and shambled over, carefully climbing up to lay down on the cushion between herself and her friend.

"Would you like a drink?" Harry asked, indicating the small liquor cabinet off to the side. She wasn't certain why he offered, or why he had a liquor cabinet, neither he nor she drank. Perhaps it was because it was expected that one would keep drinks for their guests?

Harry sagged back into his seat and considered her. "So, what did you two argue about?" He asked gently.

She sighed, idly scratching Juno's head, the dog starting to doze under her fingers. "The usual really, he wants me to settle down, give up my job…"

Her friend nodded, they had discussed similar in the past. "What has him harping on that again?" Harry asked tiredly.

"You know Ron doesn't approve of my job. He thinks working as an Unspeakable is daft. But it turns out it's worse than that, he has a…vision of what our future together should have been like. It was not the kind of future I had envisioned for myself." She admitted. "It…involved me being a stay at home mother basically. But it was put in much less polite terms."

Harry grimaced, shaking his head. "I don't know how that git ever thought you'd accept that kind of life." He grumbled.

She nodded. "Yes, well, something else came up with my job and that set him off again…" Hermione paused, considering how she wanted to approach that issue. So she bought herself a little bit of time by redirecting them a bit. "How has your own work been going?"

He gave her a quizzical look and shrugged, likely suspecting on some level what she was doing and deciding to go along with it. "It's been okay. Just finished another training assignment, got my medic's license yesterday." He shrugged. "I'm sort of in between things for the moment. Until the board decides whether or not to accept my application to become a full time Auror." He admitted.

Silently she scoffed, the cynical part of her mind suspected that it had less to do with deciding if they'd let him in and more to do with deciding how much bootlicking they could manage whilst doing so. She suspected he'd find himself accepted into a very cushy position on one of their top squads, maybe even recommended for Hit Wizard.

"Now, what about your own work? How's it going down in The Department?" He asked, his tone conveying his mild discomfort with the Department of Mysteries.

She smiled thinly. After all this would lead into discussion of her problems again, but maybe that wasn't all bad. "I passed my exams adequately." She hedged, not wanting to boast about how well she'd done on those tests assigned to applicants to the department. "Unfortunately they failed to mention when advertising for applicants that the testing was only a small portion of what they needed to do to secure a permanent position in the Department." She grumbled lightly. "It turns out your first research project is as, if not more important than, the exams for placement into a research division. I admit I may have gotten a little carried away when dreaming up my first project…" She admitted sheepishly, blushing lightly.

He must have suspected what she'd done, at least in part, because he leaned back into his seat and groaned, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. This drew a concerned look from his familiar who then looked to her with an expression which clearly said. _What's his problem?_

"Don't tell me, you got a job in the Death Chamber." He growled, it was more of a statement than a question. She didn't hold his tone against him, Harry had a justifiable antipathy towards that room and more specifically the Arch inside it. Maybe she could change that?

She blushed slightly realizing just how well he knew her that he had accurately predicted her actions. "Yes well, sort of. I chose to investigate what it is the Arch actually does, for my project."

He gave her a skeptical look, one clearly asking why anyone in their right mind would want anything to do with the so called Veil of Death. An irony considering he himself had been almost morbidly fascinated with it prior to learning its believed purpose. An even bigger irony to her was that he'd come to be in possession of three objects which together had theoretically at least, seen him becoming the so called "Master of Death".

She opted to refrain from pointing that out to him and instead explain her reasoning. "You see, nobody actually knows what happens to those who pass through the Veil. We assume they die as those who pass through never come back. However, no one actually knows that it is in fact death to pass through it, for example, no ghosts return following a person's passage through it. Which considering the old policy of passing condemned criminals through it…"

He nodded his understanding, it was odd that if so many people had been killed by the arch that more of them hadn't returned in one form or another.

She then pressed on. "However if it is indeed a doorway to death. Well…knowing how it works would explain what happens to those who die." She admitted looking down at her hands. Had she been looking at her friend's face she would have seen his features soften and his eyes turn sympathetic; he knew full well why she would find that interesting.

She had gone in search of her family after the war. Traveling to Australia in the hopes of returning them to their old lives. Sadly things had not gone as she had hoped. Her father had been killed in a car accident whilst Obliviated and in hiding in Australia.

As if that were not heartbreaking enough, her mother, upon having her memories restored to her had been less than pleased with her daughter. She had been horrified her daughter would violate their minds in such a way as to erase their memories of her. Then compelling them to move around the world. That her husband had died as a result was added insult to injury. She had been disgusted by her daughter, and had in her anger decided she wanted nothing to do with her. She'd even gone so far as to demand she be returned to her previous, false memories, so she'd only have to mourn a lost husband and not think of how her daughter had betrayed her.

It hadn't mattered that she'd done what she'd done in an attempt to protect them, that it had been with the best of intentions. In the end her mother would not be swayed and she'd gone back to her previous self, blissfully unaware of anyone called Hermione Granger.

She'd taken years to get over that, and it still stung now and then when she thought about it. She did find herself wondering, upon occasion if her father was okay, if he was as mad at her as her Mother had been. "Yes, I have been wondering if the Arch could in some way tell me where my Father has gone…whether or not he's alright."

She didn't mention that she had spared a thought or two of curiosity to what had happened to Harry's own Godfather when he'd been lost through the Veil.  
When she looked up, she found the still lingering look of sympathy on his face. "What did you find?" He asked kindly, he was clearly uncomfortable talking about the Veil, but he was willing to press on for her.

"It was actually a relatively easy job. Then again that may be because I applied some kind of method to my study as opposed to the slap dash approach most Wizards use in the place of the scientific method…" She grumbled mildly. Frustrated at finding that even in an institution devoted to study and discovery, the scientific method was a pipe dream in the distance. "I didn't read over the work of those who have looked at the Arch before, you see I didn't want to be influenced by any of their assumptions."

Harry nodded understanding. He may not have been as avid a learner as she, prior to Hogwarts or during, but he was familiar with the differences in the ways that mundanes and magical handled things. "I documented every rune I could find on the arch even a few that turned out to just be scratches…" She admitted in mild amusement. "As well as those on the platform it all stands on. From there it was just a case of finding out how it all fit together and…well, decoding it for lack of a better word. So I could tell what they all actually did."

She shrugged, continuing to scratch the dog's head. "The only real problem I ran into was this. While the runes on the Arch are relatively simple, arrays dealing with things like power flow, integrity and some sort of expanded coordinate system I haven't fully explored, the runes on the base were more of a conundrum. However they ended up being far more enlightening." Hermione explained a note of excitement entering her tone.

"It took a while to figure out why they wouldn't function right as action arrays, but after a bit of work I managed it. Most of the time runic arrays are solely used for the purpose of providing magic an anchor and a bit of form within the object they're carved into. But my colleagues, and nearly myself I must admit, almost overlooked something obvious. The most common use of runes is not actually in the magical world, it's in the mundane one as one of the very few areas of natural overlap." She explained wobbling her head uneasily as she tried to explain Runes as they stood for muggles, her excitement at her discovery infecting her voice. "Even in Muggle societies, runes were seen as ways to enhance or empower, but were never really considered a written alphabet. But that didn't mean that everything carved in the arch was a rune or symbol, something my predecessors never thought to question. I nearly fell victim to the same bias, the same lazy thinking and almost assumed there was nothing else but runes we couldn't identify. But when I saw the...uniformity in many of the carvings, I realized that even if we were dealing with several runic arrays, they were being used like an alphabet, a written language. Once we were able to differentiate between the runes themselves and the...spells they were connected to for lack of a better term, it was possible to use the runes as context to get the language. Well, when I say 'language', it was more of a symbolic protolanguage with more literal primitive script scattered throughout muddying the waters. But it could still be translated in that way and eventually came together in a fashion that made sense!" She declared.

"One area free of runes had no purpose beyond conveying information and I cracked it earlier this morning." He looked interested at least so she pressed on. "It's…well not an instruction manual so much as a warning sign or an informative notice. I had to wrestle with it a bit to translate it as anything legible in modern terms but basically it comes out as; "Warning: Destinations are fixed from this location, should it be desired that you return via this path, or that you desire this path's destination changed for all future transportation, please consult The Navigator at the Wandering Star." She relayed patiently.

"It was wrapped up in language a lot more metaphorical and flowery than that but that's the best translation I could come up with, and my superiors agreed." She reported happily, then sobered as she delivered her most important piece of news to her friend, grasping his hand in her free one and looking his carefully in the eye. "Harry, I—we think that the Arch does not in fact lead to death as originally thought."

That certainly caught his attention, not the least because of the utter sincerity in Hermione's declaration. Not that she would have been so cruel as to declare so were it not true. She could see it, the faint spark of hope igniting within him, she couldn't blame him. He'd lost his Godfather, the closest thing he had to family, through that Arch. She pressed on, fanning that spark. "I think, judging by that, that it is telling the user, or traveller if you will. That this…portal is one way in function, allowing travel between it and a fixed or relatively fixed point. That if someone who travelled through it wanted to change its destination or just return home they would need to….work, with this Navigator on something called the Wandering Star."

She needn't have explained it so bluntly, Harry was smart enough after all. But it helped clarify the message in his mind more quickly. "So, for someone like Sirius, they might not be able to come back after leaving because they didn't know they had to find this Navigator to get them a route home…"

She smiled, happy he'd understood. "Yes, I took my findings to my superiors and they concurred with my interpretations after double checking my work. They've agreed to send an expedition to the other side…" She admitted, trailing off. Uncertain how to tell him this next part. "Harry, I'll be leading the expedition."

Her friend froze as he considered the implications of that, his hand tightening over hers slightly as his eyes went distant while he thought that over, finally he asked a question. "Hermione, how certain of your results are you? Please, I'm begging you, don't sugar coat it, I need to know your honest opinion on this. Think about it carefully."

Had Ron asked her that she would have been offended, assuming (probably correctly) that he'd been casting aspirations on her work. This was Harry who was asking however so she gave his query serious consideration. She truly had given her project her all, and her superiors had agreed when they had looked it over. "I'm as certain as it is possible to be under these circumstances." She stated eventually.

He pondered that. "And you think there's a…a chance that there are others on the other end of that thing who don't know how to get home?" He asked, a slight pleading tone in his voice.

Hermione understood his need to confirm that last bit given Sirius. She nodded firmly in agreement. He sighed and leaned back into his seat, not letting go of her hand. Perhaps he was afraid on some primeval level that this hope, this dream would abandon him should he let go?

He sat there thinking for a few minutes in silence and she let him, merely holding his hand and idly petting Juno while he worked through it. It was important to her that he accepted all of this. That he accepted her mission. Finally he spoke again, "What are you hoping to find over there?" He asked, then clarified. "You, not the Ministry, they no doubt have their own agenda, what I want to know is what you are hoping is there."

Hermione understood, and shrugged. "Anything, anything at all, it could, and quite likely is, a whole different world on the other side. It could be one as strange and alien as Underhill, or it could be something as familiar as earth. Or anything in between."

Her friend nodded accepting that. "Okay, and how will this expedition work exactly?" He asked eventually. She was pleased he hadn't shut down like Ron had, and was instead asking questions, clearly hoping to understand and shore up any mistakes which might have been made.

"It is fairly straightforward actually." She began. "The expedition members will pass through the Arch, with all the kit necessary for it. Tents, food, medical supplies etc…From there we'll try and find any natives and then work to find this "Wandering Star", it will be our priority as it is our only certain way back."

He nodded, his eyes once more zeroing on hers. "How many people are going? When is this all scheduled for?"

She blew out a breath this was one of the hard parts, telling him how little time there was before she was expected to leave. "Four Days, the Minister is all for it, and so are the Department heads involved. But they are worried that if they wait too long the public will get spooked in regards to the costs of an expedition or about whether or not the mission is really viable. You know what they're like, someone would get up in arms about it and try to get the Wizengamot to shut it down, just because they could." She huffed a breath then offered a one armed shrug. "As to who's going, well— right now it's just me, but then again we've only had today to set this up."

Harry looked to her sharply. "They haven't assigned any others to go with you?"

She shook her head. "The Department heads and the Minister can't force people to go on a dangerous mission like this, and the other Department leaders are reluctant to post notice to their own staff."

Knowing Croaker and Kingsley as he did, he likely suspected they were genuine when they stated that as their concerns in the matter. It was the others he was probably less sanguine about. While there were a few sensible and decent people who ran departments within the Ministry, there were an awful lot of self serving jerks too. There were likely a few who were being obstructionist because they didn't want to lose any of their people or resources.

There were also likely a few who assumed this all to be a doomed venture and were hedging their bets, tacitly supporting the expedition on the off chance it worked out so they might reap any benefits. At the same time as taking no real risks which might actually improve the venture's likelihood of success. For them it was a case of "Well if it works, that's great. And if it doesn't, well only a few people lost."

A dark corner of her mind, she suspected that they were hoping they might lose an "Uppity" Muggleborn along the way.

She shook her head, this was typical Ministry idiocy, despite the new leadership. It was not lost on her that Harry and herself now worked for the Ministry and so were, distantly, part of any Ministry Idiocy that went on. "They really should be outfitting you better than this…" he noted sourly.

Harry smirked as something occurred to him, and Hermione watched his face shift with interest. She suspected he'd been thinking along similar lines to her. Finally he smiled properly and looked to her, a grin on his face. "Well, sign me up then!"

She felt like her brain had just suffered the same effect Ron's had a half hour before. Total brain pause. "You think I'm about to let you go alone?" Harry asked skeptically, mistaking her stunned expression. "Not to mention I'd be losing the chance to find Sirius."

Perhaps it was because of how confused she was but she found herself protesting. "I wasn't going to ask Harry, I don't want to put you in a tough position…" She started. Wondering what would happen with his job and with Ginny were he to come with her. _Wait, why are we arguing?_ Part of her question asked incredulously.

He almost certainly knew what she was thinking as he raised his hand to stop her from asking. "My job can wait, and like I said, me and Ginny are on a break - a big break. I need to think things over before I even consider getting back together with her." Then he grinned roguishly at her. "Besides it'll be exciting won't it?" He saw she was uncertain, but slowly coming around to his way of thinking. "I'm coming along Hermione, don't think you can stop me!" He declared laughing.

She couldn't help but chuckle too, she felt some dampness prickling her eyes again, though this time it wasn't because she was upset, rather that she was happy. It was touching, how quickly he'd decided to join her. She knew he had mentioned his desire to find Sirius, but after all these years she knew him well enough that he had decided to come along for her benefit.

She got up on her haunches and Juno dutifully shifted out of the way as she leaned across to engulf her friend in a hug. She pointedly ignored the odd flipflop she got in her belly at holding her friend like this. For the moment that was too much to deal with, and would have to wait. She'd focus on the moment for now. "I'm am glad to have you along Harry," she growled happily.

Harry returned the hug, and they remained like that for a minute before he released her and they settled back. Harry smiled at her, then grew semi-serious again. "What will I need to do in regards to the preparations?" He asked.

She nodded thoughtfully as she considered that. "I'll send you a list for the necessary food allotment for you to come along. You'll also want to buy up a lot of food for Juno if you bring her along…"

Juno huffed indignantly and she chuckled. The likelihood of Harry leaving his familiar behind was nil. That'd be a lot of dog food.

Harry groaned. "I see myself being swallowed by a mountain of kibble in my future."

She snorted in amusement. "I'll be seeing to the rest, my own supplies and Crookshanks of course, as well as the tent and the—"

He shook his head in amusement. "You can't pay for all of it yourself Hermione, I'm sure the Department will cover some of it if you ask... Why don't you let me handle the potions, I've got a good idea what we'll be needing for a trip like this."

She was reluctant but had to concede it was good idea, first of all because he could better afford the costs than she could, and also because unlike her, he had real medical training to help him determine the necessities they'd require. Her fumbling attempts at triage during the Horcrux Hunt weren't exactly real healing.  
Her reflections on that matter were interrupted by the chiming of the clock above the mantle piece. She sighed, her excitement bleeding away somewhat. Happy surprise that was Harry coming along aside, she needed to head home soon. Before it was too late. She needed her sleep, also planning and arranging things over the next few days was bound to take up a goodly portion of her time. "I'd better head home, I'm going to need my sleep over the next few days." She admitted.

He nodded accepting that, pushing to his feet and offering her a hand up. He led the way back to the door. "You be sure to send along a list of stuff you expect we'll need. I'll start looking through all my junk to see if I can find something helpful." He instructed gently as he helped her back into her jacket.

She nodded. "Will do, have a good night Harry, and…thanks again for all this, agreeing to come along I mean."

He nodded easily and she paused, kissing him briefly on the cheek as he opened the door. "Have a good evening Harry, see you soon."

He murmured an agreement pecking her on the cheek before letting her go her way, the door closing gently behind her.

* * *

Three Days Later

Hermione's Apartment  
Belsize Park, London  
England

Hermione was wondering if she'd have been better off increasing the intensity of her wards, as she tried to ignore the sound of Ronald Weasley once again bouncing off the barriers with a gonging noise.

She sighed in aggravation and gave up resting a bit longer as a lost cause, it was basically impossible to sleep in when you could hear you Ex standing out in the middle of the street shouting "Eat Slugs!" at your house, followed by gurgling for a minute before he managed the counter curse. She lamented the day he had ever learned how to do that little charm.

Besides, if she were being honest with herself, it was getting late anyways, and she might as well start the day. She was too excited for what was coming to actually get back to sleep, irate slug spewing ex-boyfriends aside.

She got up, at least they'd learned to stop sending the obliviators by now, the muggles just thought he was shooting fireworks at her house anyways, and they'd figured out that the only person setting off the monitors they'd installed out front her house was a certain redheaded idiot.

She shook her head in exasperation and went about getting showered. Getting out ten minutes later to get dressed, she had chosen something relatively rugged for the coming day. Leaving aside her unmentionables of course. Hermione had chosen a set of cargo pants as well as some sturdy boots, with a plain white t-shirt and a comfortable leather jacket over top.

She was on her way to the kitchen when she heard another owl bounce noisily off the wards with a disgruntled squawk, followed by a popping sound. It really was a good thing the Weasley clan had retired poor old Errol, that old bird would have finally packed it in and died after hitting the wards so many times she was sure.

In the first day and a half after her and Ron's relationship imploding, and the following announcement by some Ministry idiot that Harry would be on the expedition, she had received no less than twelve howlers from Molly and Ginny Weasley alone.

She didn't even need to ask where those two had learned how to charm an owl to get past basic mail wards, so she'd sent an owl of her own to Bill asking him not to help his mother and sister after she adjusted her wards to account for that trick.

She'd even included an adjustment to fry howlers so they wouldn't detonate upon being dropped by the owl.

Unfortunately her second owl to one Arthur Weasley hadn't had the effect she'd hoped. She suspected Molly hadn't heard her husband asking her to stop over the sound of making another of the dratted noise makers…

Although, judging by the way the flow had finally tapered off Molly had started running low on the supplies necessary to actually make the blasted things. That last howler a minute ago had likely been Molly's last salvo cursing her out for toying with her son's heart or some other such nonsense before bidding her a not so fond farewell as she left for her expedition.

Hermione paused upon finishing her meal sorting away the dishes and setting her fridge to vanish the little remaining food as it spoiled, then turned to look over her apartment. It was basically all put to rights now for her to leave, everything except her bedroom put up under enchanted dust sheets and such.  
She made her way into her bedroom sorting that away too before finally pausing to coax a very displeased Crookshanks into his carrier, it was only after explaining that the Ministry wouldn't allow him loose in their building to walk through the portal under his own power, that he calmed down and finally acquiesced. Though she suspected he was plotting how to disembowel whoever had made up that rule, judging by the way he was sheathing and unseating his claws over and over again…

Casting only one last look at her apartment as she pulled on her shoes, she exited the building and locked it behind her. She made her way to the apparition point ignoring a twitching and unconscious Ron Weasley passed out in the bush as she passed. He must have gotten it into his fool head to try something a touch more serious and the wards had lashed out.

Oh well, she wasn't about to complain that he wasn't with it enough to start harassing her. In the end she had more important things to worry about than one Ronald Weasley.

* * *

Ministry of Magic  
London, England

Hermione had hoped to avoid the worst of the crowds and gawkers by apparating to the safe area outside the Ministry and entering through the service entrance. And in truth she had moderate success in that regard.

She had known from the moment Harry signed on to the Expedition there would be a media firestorm. This was the wizarding world after all. If Harry was involved there would be media attention. Add to that the wizarding public's horror at realizing their favourite punching—er…hero, was leaving them on what some were calling a "mad expedition into certain doom!" and their reactions had been predictable.

On the one hand the public assumed that she must be wrong and that the Veil was indeed certain death. On the other hand…well there really wasn't another hand it was just more negativity the whole way through really. Wizards took a dim view of explorers, quite opposite to the position muggles took towards those who dared to reach beyond. Well, until they succeeded of course, at which time the Wizarding public would loudly declare to anyone with ears that they'd believed in the "brave adventurer" from the start. And even pitched in after some fashion or another!

She'd enjoy rubbing their doubts in their faces if she made it back. The newspapers in particular had been very scathing in their references to her person since this expedition became public. Pureblood bigotry was dead, oh yes, of course it was, they'd been paid to say it was, so it must be true! But that didn't stop them from casting thinly veiled aspirations on her because of her blood status.

She made it through the security checkpoint at the service entrance with minimal difficulties. Even with the enhanced measures put in place by the Minister and Auror Captain Tonks.

But she'd been unable to make it across the Atrium to the elevators without being spotted. The Atrium was, of course, a big open space right in the middle of the Ministry with a big golden monument right in the centre of everything.

She, _loathed_ that statue. Almost as much as Harry did. He'd often note that the last thing he'd wanted upon beating Voldemort was a big old golden depiction of himself. Then mutter darkly about using it for target practice one day. At which point she'd try to comfort him by noting that at least they had refrained from making him bare chested as he held his wand aloft.

Ron naturally loved the thing, and had even requested that he be made to look more heroic when asked about it prior to construction. Ron's statue, she noted darkly, was bare chested for some reason. She was thankful now that the artist had refrained from giving her the same treatment they'd given Ginny.

She was standing tall and proud beside Harry, a determined look on her face, magic crackling from her fingers. Ginny…was not. In fact, she was depicted as a voluptuous bimbo who hung daintily from Harry's leg staring soulfully - at least that was the intent - up at Harry. Maybe it was her own perceptions but Hermione could have sworn the statue's eyes held the lust she saw too often in the red head's eyes when she was around Harry. That Ginny didn't see anything wrong with the statue and had publicly declared her love for it, wasn't surprising.

It was curious that Ginny had been depicted at all really. None of the others had been immortalized in polished naval brass. Not Luna, or the Twins…or even Neville, who had quite publicly chopped the head off that monster snake with a sword…it was very strange.

Regardless, she remained stoically silent, reflecting on this, as she pressed forward across the Atrium to the elevators. Pointedly ignoring the roughly phrased questions, and in some cases outright accusations, hurled at her by the churning masses of people gathering around.

She would later consider herself lucky to make it into the elevator without someone shooting a hex at her. After all this was the same wizarding public which had sent a fifteen year old girl a letter full of noxious chemicals in the hopes of horrifically injuring her, based solely on perjurious rumours in the newspaper about the girl toying with some celebrity's feelings.

That was one of the few advantages that came with being a part of the legendary Golden Trio. Few nowadays had the courage to try their luck against them lightly. Only Harry did really, and that was because he was regularly running into trouble makers desperate enough to take a shot; it was part of his job after all.

She descended in blissful silence after the elevator left the atrium before exiting into the quiet hallway outside the Department of Mysteries. Pacing across, she used her I.D to open the door; something else new to the Ministry. An addition which would have potentially saved them a lot of trouble in fifth year.

As Hermione stepped through the familiar entry chamber into the Department proper, she had to fight a smile that threatened to blossom at the sight which met her.

Rita Skeeter was sat on a conjured bench off to one side, cuffed, while she was interrogated by an Auror and an Unspeakable. Rita looked very pale, and Hermione had to fight the urge to gloat too hard. It had likely been her warning about Rita's abilities which now saw the reporter in such trouble.

She wave airily as she passed, "Hello Rita, Bye Rita." She could practically feel the ocular daggers digging into her back as she continued on deeper into the department. The imaginary knives fading away as she exited into the revolving ante-chamber. She was pleased to see that they had actually posted a door man of sorts here today, they couldn't have confused visitors who had come for the expedition's departure, wandering the department aimlessly after all. That was just asking for trouble.

"Miss Granger." The Unspeakable greeted, unfortunately difficult to identify under that deep grey cowl. "Where are you headed today, or is that a silly question?"

She smiled thinly. "Arch Chamber please."

He nodded, chuckling ruefully to himself. "That will take some getting used to. Not calling it the "Death Chamber" anymore." He said shaking his head. Then drawing his wand and making a silent incantation, the room rotated and a door popped open revealing her desired destination beyond.

"Thanks," She murmured before stepping through and allowing the door to close behind her. The Chamber, was…not quite as silent as it usually was, though it was indeed less noisy than one might expect from a room so full of people. Perhaps some of the Veil's lingering mystique? She wondered.

The balconies, and viewing galleries overlooking the chamber were packed, and she spotted Aurors present in abundance for crowd control. She made her way over to the stairs, ignoring the staring and muttering witches and wizards who were kept at bay by the Aurors, and made her way down onto the main floor.  
She spotted Harry about halfway across the room between herself and the arch. She was about to make her way over to him, when a group just off to her left started waving excitedly in an attempt to catch her attention.

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she noted who it was. There, were some of their few supporters in recent days. Tonks, now a Captain in the Aurors, her mother Andromeda, her son Teddy, and Luna. "Well, hello you four!" She greeted smiling as she paced over.

"Wotcher, Hermione." Tonks greeted happily, brushing a bit of pink hair out of her face. It was good to see Tonks doing so much better these days. She'd been gutted by the loss of Remus during the battle at Hogwarts. But her mother, and more importantly her son had eventually brought her around. She'd even started to revert a bit to her old self, the happy, easy going and irreverent girl who she'd been before Tonks had married Lupin.

That had been a 'complicated' marriage, and she suspected that Tonks had curtailed some of her eccentricities in order to minimize the differences between herself and her spouse. Now he was gone…well Tonks had come out to play again.

Andromeda had relied on Tonks as much as Tonks had relied on her. After all she'd lost her husband during the war too. Though she had borne it a bit better than her daughter had.

Then of course there was Luna, who, looked both very happy, and very pregnant. Her husband Neville was soon going to be a proud father of twins, though they didn't know the gender yet. Luna would be hard pressed to find a better man for the job, Hermione thought, Neville was a good man. Luna leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek. "Hello Hermione, it's lovely to see you today. Neville wished he could be here, but his classes are keeping him busy. Minerva also sends her apologies." Blithely ignoring the flinch the others experienced at her casual use of Professor Mcgonagall's first name.

"That's okay Luna, I understand, please give them both my regards would you?" She requested getting a happy nod in return. She was pleased Luna was otherwise here by herself in a way. Luna still doted on her father, and loved him dearly, but she no longer worked with the man on the Quibbler. She simply couldn't bring herself to do so after learning what her father had done in his efforts to protect her during the war.

Hermione also suspected that Xeno had been denied access at the door on principal by the Unspeakables. He'd undoubtedly have gotten into a great deal of trouble in the department before they managed to evict him. They might have even needed to call in pest control…

"How are you all managing?" She asked, leaving those observations unvoiced.

"Well enough on my front." Tonks offered. "The tyke here keeps me busy even when work doesn't, thank Merlin for mum."

"And I'm doing well too dear, Teddy and Dora keep me from wallowing. We're very happy to be here to see you off." Andromeda offered.

" And I feel like a whale," Luna stated bluntly, patting her belly grimly. "But in a good way I think. Although I don't think whales have to go pee as often as I do…" She muttered darkly.

"I'm tired!" Teddy declared loudly, and his mother and grandmother rolled their eyes.

"Well, who knows with whales right Luna? I think you look wonderful. Tonks, Andy, look after yourselves, we'll try to say bye before we head out. You behave yourself Teddy." She instructed mock sternly to the yawning toddler. "See you later."

She turned to walk away and almost bumped head long into the Minister for Magic himself. Kingsley was smiling benignly, most likely enjoying her light banter with her friends. "Oh, sorry Minister." She apologized hurriedly.

The dark skinned man chuckled shaking his head. "I've told you Hermione, you can call me Kingsley. If anybody has earned it it's you lot. How are you managing?"

She smiled ruefully at his customary reminder to be less formal with him. Before returning her attention to his question. "I'm well, a little nervous I suppose. How have things been on your end, any troubles?"

He barked a quick laugh before schooling himself a little, when the reporters along the edge of the room perked up. "Plenty, but that is to be expected. The Prophet is doing its usual thing, causing trouble as only they know how to. The general public is upset their hero is doing something dangerous…or more accurately, is doing so in a way that will take him beyond their reach and powers of observation." He noted dryly. "I even had Molly Weasley try to personally browbeat me into cancelling the expedition." He paused looking thoughtful, "Actually I think of all the things that have happened that one did the most to ensure I went ahead with everything despite all the other troubles. I had to have her escorted out by Aurors."

He paused musing. "Lots of trouble that clan. Though in different ways generally. I heard a couple of my Aurors had trouble earlier this morning when Ginny tried to force her way into the department without an invite…"

Hermione gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for all the fuss. If I'd known—"

He just waved that off. "Officially speaking this whole venture is a good chance to push the boundaries of magic, and so on and so forth. Personally however I find it all very exciting, and a good bit of fun too. I've gotten to tweak more noses with this mess than I have at any other time in my tenure in office." He noted winking.

She smiled and shook her head laughing. "I'm glad it's not all negative then Kingsley. Now I'd better head over to Harry and get some work done, or we'll be here all day." She pointed out cheerfully. He made his goodbyes as well, and she turned to begin heading over to her fellow explorer.

Harry was sorting some supplies between duffles as she approached. He'd even labeled them, the one he was extracting cans of food from was labeled UNSORTED in big block letters, while the one they were going into was labeled CANNED GOODS.

Juno was watching him idly surprisingly uninhibited by a cage or carrier of any kind. "You know the Ministry generally frowns on familiars being unconfined within the building." She stated dryly. Not really complaining, just noting the discrepancy more than anything.

He looked up startled by her apparently sudden arrival, before frowning as her words penetrated. "Oh, uh…nobody said anything?" He offered lamely, and Juno gave her a reproachful look.

She sighed then set down Crookshanks' carrier, and opened the door, the cat stalked out eyeing the room about him darkly before padding over to pointedly sit himself down beside the dog. He'd once tried to assert his dominance with the collie, by sitting himself on her head. A mistake when interacting with a free spirited female collie as most owners will tell you. She had simply tilted her head and dumped him off the side of the couch rather pointedly before woofing at him once and going back to sleep. Surprisingly he'd taken the message to heart and contented himself with being in her vicinity.

Juno noted Hermione's arrival then by simply chuffing and wagging her tail before returning to her silent sentinel gig.

She set down her duffle next to his pile, unzipping it and pulling out the two duffles she'd stowed inside the magically enlarged sack. Finally she pulled out the packed wizarding tent the department had provided her with and set it on the floor.

Harry nodded to her in thanks before getting to his feet and greeting her properly with a hug before backing off. "Anything we're waiting on or should we just get everything sorted into the tent and go from there?"

Hermione shrugged philosophically. "There was no set time for departure, and I'd be perfectly happy with getting this dog and pony show out of the way so we can focus on more important matters. I finally figured out how to make a temporary patch for the damaged sections of The Arch's rune arrays. It should make our trip a bit smoother."

Harry bobbed his head once in thought then gestured idly with his wand causing the Tent to slide from its sack and begin pitching itself on the ground next to them. "I'll just run this lot in shall I? You want to hold the vultures at bay?" He suggested.

She nodded, she had no greater love for the press than he did, but would not generate anywhere near the furor should she approach them. If Harry were to handle the questions, they'd be there all day. Or at least until the Minister took mercy on them and ordered the Aurors to intervene.

She patted him gently on the shoulder before pacing off again, this time towards the slowly gathering press representatives. "Alright, I suppose we're good to go. I'll answer a few questions before we go. Five's the limit, pick them well!" She announced sharply to the reporters as they gathered 'round.

"But where's Harry Potter?" One asked immediately staring around her hopefully.

"Is that one of your questions?" She asked sweetly and one of the other reporters elbowed him pointedly in the side, indicating he should shut his yap.

The first reporter to speak was one of the assistants from the Prophet, he looked somewhat shell shocked to find himself actually asking questions instead of Rita. "Er—Yes, Miss Granger, could you tell us what led to this expedition exactly?"

She briefly recounted her discovery whilst studying the rune arrays for the Arch and platform before rounding it off by fobbing any further interest along those lines to someone else. "I've fully documented my work and findings, copies should be available from the Department heads upon request. In addition I've had requests for copies from a number of sources such as Bathsheda Babbling of Hogwarts. Next Question?"

The follow up questions were mostly drivel. Where are you going? What do you expect to find there? What do you say to those who think you're insane? Are you and Harry a couple now? She had rolled her eyes at that, and gave a curt "Next question?"

The final question was somewhat easier. "Do you have an estimated time of return?"

She shook her head. "We are aware of what is required in order to return, however we do not know how long it will take to achieve that objective, or to successfully document all we wish to document. Hopefully we will be able to return fairly soon. However it may take longer…" She looked around at the dissatisfied faces around her and decided to call it a day. "Well that's all the time we have for questions. If you'll excuse me I have work to do. Good day."

She turned on her heel and marched back to the tent where Harry was just exiting one last time. He'd clearly taken the familiars inside and was now in the process of zipping the flap. "How'd it go?" He asked looking up as she approached.

"Fine, or well—as well as could be expected with that lot." She hedged.

He nodded understanding. "You ready to go then?" This time it was she who nodded. "Then let's go say goodbye to our friends and get this party started."

Hermione frowned as she drew the last rune patch onto the arch with magnetic chalk and infused it with magical energy. That should do it, she reflected. Each time she'd added her runes to the damaged Arch, the so called "Veil" had smoothed somewhat and darkened. Now it was nearly entirely calm, the ripples and fabric like flows all but gone now. An almost mirror smooth black surface across the gap within the Archway.

They'd said farewell to their friends, those who had been able to come that day, and had set to work on their final preparations. She put away her chalk within its case and dropped the lot into her purse. Turning back to Harry, only to sigh when she saw what was behind her.

Harry was there too, but so was the press, who had shuffled forward almost to the base of the platform despite the Auror's attempts to curtail them. Kingsley was stepping tentatively up beside Harry, clearly somewhat unnerved in the presence of the portal. "The Press would like a quick word from you two before you depart. Any thoughts?"

For a moment Hermione was tempted to take that request literally just to spite the lot of them. Something along the lines of "Velocity"…Or to rant at them about how they had treated her and Harry so poorly. But she decided to take a somewhat different tact instead when she glanced at Harry for advice and saw him roll his eyes in amusement.

His expression seemed to say. Forget them, let's have fun with this!

So she strode forward, striking a smart pose in front of the gathered reporters, smiling at them brightly. "This Veil represents a new frontier! Our mission: To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!" She said pompously, before nodding in satisfaction, and spinning once again on her heel, ignoring the slack jawed confusion coming from the press and marching back to Harry, who was clearly struggling just as hard as she, to contain his mirth.

"Well, that'll amuse the other muggleborns out there, that's for sure." he murmured in an aside to her before turning to face the Minister. "We all good to go Kingsley?" He asked easily.

The dark skinned pureblood was, in all honesty, just as confused as the reporters. But he knew these two well enough to recognize a prank when he saw one, and was smiling. "No, I think we're all sorted here. Good luck you two. Hope to see you again soon." He offered, extending his hand to shake. They did so, and he stepped off the platform back onto the chamber floor as the Aurors pushed the press back to accommodate him.

"So, you ready to go?" Harry asked Hermione, who had begun to shift nervously from foot to foot in anticipation. She nodded stiffly, trying to look more certain than she felt. Looking at her work, and going over it with her bosses had instilled confidence within her. But, now that she stood here, in front of the eerie Archway she felt less certain. She wondered if all explorers felt thus?

He must have seen through her tough facade, because he clapped his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, I trust you. I believe in you. You did it all right, we're going to be fine." He murmured, smiling. She softened somewhat at his words and smiled thinly back.

He offered his hand to her, "Come here, we'll go through together." he prompted and she took it and it's offer of support gratefully. "Now, most amazing last words for an expedition ever aside, I think we need to borrow a leaf out of someone else book as we step through, you up for that?"

She nodded, then cocked her head at him in question, curious what he'd come up with. "In the immortal words of Neil Armstrong…"

She smiled as they squared up on the portal, hand in hand. Tapping her finger on the back of the hand which held her own, a timer so they'd say it together. When it reached three, they spoke. "One small step for man…" They intoned together.

"And one giant leap for mankind." She murmured alone, smiling at him, as they rocked forward together to step into the darkness, and were swallowed up.


	2. Chapter 1

Hermione stumbled somewhat as she stepped through the portal, not a lot, but certainly enough that she was grateful for Harry's steadying presence...and physical bulk to hold on to. Falling flat on her face right out of the gate, that would have been embarrassing to put it mildly.… _bet the reporters would have loved it_ , she reflected darkly straightening up and raising her eyes, turning her head slightly to thank her friend. Only to feel her jaw drop at the sight which lay before her eyes.

 _It can not have been that simple!_ Her mind screeched in protest. She stood there staring, taking in the sudden, very unexpected appearance of the startling surroundings she found herself in. A beautiful and bizarre vista stretched to the horizon before her. _Magical transit is NEVER that smooth!_ She thought indignantly, her mind going to her experiences with other methods of magical transport. Floo travel left you dusty and dizzy, apparition felt like getting sucked through a straw and then wrung out like a dishrag, and the less said about portkeys the better, especially if Harry was in any way involved! The man seemed destined to find new and interesting ways of showing the world how magical transport was _not_ supposed to work. Which was at least educational if still somewhat awkward to watch she had to admit. Nevertheless her eyes were without a doubt reporting that they most certainly were not in the Death Chamber of the Ministry of Magic any longer.

Stretching as far as the eye could see was a vast and very alien jungle. The sky was one of the first major indicators with clouds that glowed faintly, but allowed shining silvery columns of light to reflect down from two moons which loomed large on the horizon.

Hermione had seen many jungles and rainforests depicted on television in her life, had read many books and seen many photographs, and had even been to semi-tropical climes a time or two, but this place was like none of those. The forest, if such it could be called, which rolled away before her into the distance glowed not just with reflected moon light, but with magical and bioluminescent energy, the latter of which lent the strange wavering illumination to the low lying cloud cover. It was near impossible not to sense the former - the magic of this place. And the plants, dancing slightly in the cool night breeze…

Earth had not seen plants like these in a very, _very_ long time, if ever. Enormous primeval ferns that reminded her of various fossils she'd seen on display at the natural history museum in London, mixed in among titanic glowing fungal trees and expansive gloriously luminous flowers, which literally dripped glowing droplets of opalescent liquid onto the spongy soil beneath their feet. All of it strange, utterly alien, and yet beautiful as well.

She spun slowly on her heel, the better to take in the wondrous space around them, briefly noting a similar look of shock and awe on Harry's face as she finished her turn expecting to find the Arch looming behind her. Instead, quite to her consternation, she only found more jungle. That took a moment to percolate through her mind before she managed a strangled "Uh-oh…" Her grin, which had steadily grown since finding herself here, dimmed rapidly as the reality of that settled over her.

Harry, who had been marvelling at their surroundings himself, turned at her worried tone and noticed as quickly as she had, the distinct lack of Archway and portal behind them and by extension, a noticeable lack of a way back home. "Uh—will this be a problem?" He asked, a grimace crossing his face as the question caught up to his brain a moment later.

Hermione blinked as her brain kicked back in, allowing her to address her friend's question after a few moments consideration. She worried her lip before speaking. "Ummmm, well yes and no? I mean, we knew going in it would not be as simple as merely turning around and walking back…" She pointed out, "But—I admit, I had assumed it would be a little more straightforward than this." She mumbled weakly.

Harry considered her before glancing around at the strange place they now found themselves utterly lost in. Perhaps he was still giddy with the excitement of beginning their journey, or of finding this place. Or _maybe_ minuscule spores from the jungle had already started infecting his brain, as quite to Hermione's surprise, he started laughing. Finally he spoke, explaining himself in the face of her confused expression. "Since when have things ever been simple for us Hermione? I guess this means we really will have to find this 'Wandering Star' thing after all…."

He paused a moment considering, glancing over the jungle happily, before nodding firmly "This is going to be exciting isn't it? I mean just look at this place! It's just so different, but the magic—can you feel it, you can practically see it here, even without Mage Sight. I think it's everywhere here; amazing!"

Hermione couldn't help but smile fondly at her friend's enthusiasm. It was rare to see Harry returned to that same wide eyed young boy he'd been when she'd first met him. That this place had managed it so quickly, spoke to the wonder of their surroundings. She shook her head one final time in amusement, before looking speculatively at the world around them, "I wonder if this place is like Underhill is supposed to be?" She pondered aloud thinking of the realm whimsically referred to as Faery Land. "I read in 'A treatise on the Fair Folk' and 'the Nature of Realties' that it was supposed to be composed entirely of magic…"

She frowned, she hoped this wasn't Underhill, mortals who dared venture there rarely, if ever, returned. Even in the more upbeat stories. Thankfully she didn't get a chance to stew on that grim line of thought.

Something about what they had been talking about sparked Harry's interest and he cocked his head a moment before murmuring an incantation under his breath, and promptly sucked in a pained breath as he flinched slightly like he had accidentally looked right into the sun. Hermione's eyes darted to him quickly as he cursed inarticulately for a moment and then muttered a counter charm. "Harry, are you okay, what happened?" She asked worriedly, hurrying over to his side to fuss and worry over him.

He nodded briefly, waving her off gently before rubbing his temples, his eyes pinched shut at a sudden headache which had hit him. Finally he shook his head after a long minute. "Sorry, yeah, just made the mistake of trying to use a Mage Sight charm…should have known better!" He growled, rebuking himself harshly.

Hermione blinked for a moment as comprehension blossomed, before nodding hurriedly making a noise of understanding. "It must be blinding!" she said sympathetically. She imagined it might have felt like stumbling from a dark movie theatre into the sunlight if the sunlight had been magnified by ten.

Her friend just nodded ruefully, "I'll say, I gave it as much power as I usually do…WAY too much for this place. It was like getting hit with a flash bang." He muttered. Hermione winced. Recent improvements to the curriculum of the DMLE and by extension the Department of Mysteries, meant those who might find themselves out in the field amongst the muggles had the educational, if unfortunately unpleasant experience, of being subjected to some of the mundane world's less lethal hazards.

She hummed under her breath, once again turning her attention to the forest. "Do you think it would work if I did the spell at minimum requirements?"  
Harry was still blinking spots from his eyes, judging by his goggle eyed expression. "Probably, just take it slow, should have done that myself like I said."

She nodded before murmuring the incantation, feeding the spell the barest dregs of her power until the spell took. She, unlike Harry smiled in wonder once more. "It really is beautiful, like you said, it's everywhere here!" She exclaimed, admiring the glow of energy, feeling her senses stretch out before she drew her focus back to the present and released the spell.

It was a minute before she could persuade Harry to try again, but when he did he shared a similar smile to her own, watching the jungle a minute before releasing the spell. "Do you think we should set camp here?" Hermione asked suddenly as a thought occurred to her. "Unspeakable training manuals suggest setting camp near the apparition point when entering a new area…But it seems kind of unnecessary when there is no means of return present." She noted wryly.

Harry seemed to find this amusing, but explained himself promptly before she could misunderstand and feel offended. "Even if there were an Arch here, I have to admit I'd hesitate to set up shop too close to it. I'm not too keen to park it all right in the receiving area for a possibly inter-dimensional portal between worlds."

Hermione nodded in agreement, chuckling at his somewhat colourful description, casting her eye across the landscape once more in appreciation, before her gaze alighted on a rocky ravine across the small shallow jungle filled valley they were in, and she pointed to it. "That ravine might have some shelter in it. I'm not seeing many clearings aside from this place…"

Her friend nodded in agreement, but remained silent for a time just taking it all in, only eventually speaking up with a shrug. "Well I'm all for giving it a try if you want to head that way?"

Hermione smiled as she nodded once more, and Harry scratched his chin for a moment before indicating a path into the brush ahead of them, igniting his wand tip to cast a small spotlight in that direction. She beamed at him, casting a small permanent beacon charm should they need find their way back. Only following after him once she had ignited the tip of her own wand and cast an alert charm around them. If they were heading into the jungle at night it would be better to know if something started following them.

As they finally started off into the dim light of the strange alien forest neither noticed as a dark shape drifted low on the horizon an eerie glow trailing behind it before it vanished from sight.

* * *

Close to an hour later  
Ravine (Location Unknown)

Hermione was by no means an expert on geology or geography, though she had dabbled in reading a few things about both, however she couldn't for the life of her recall hearing of a place on earth which had stone ravines so thoroughly…porous. The ravine which they had set off for nearly an hour before was basically riddled with caves. Like a block of swiss cheese if someone had somehow managed to shoot it with a shotgun without merely turning the lot of it to mush. It was almost like pumice stone on a grander scale…Some of the caves were small, and others, like the one they were currently surveying as a possible site to camp themselves, were large enough to build your house in.

It was with great relief, at least for her, that they found that the cave was not playing home to some strange foreign beast like the one they'd seen scuttling through the forest on the way here. That beast had resembled an unholy cross between a massive praying mantis and crustacean of some sort. It was far larger than most animals back home and she didn't doubt that it was far more deadly as well, considering the size and apparent sharpness of its claws.

She wondered if Harry was as relieved? She knew he never sought out danger for its own sake, and certainly didn't relish it either despite his propensity for finding himself embroiled in the biggest batch of it around. But did it come to be some kind of strange twisted disappointment when the world didn't try to kill him at every turn? She hoped not, excitement was one thing but Hermione Granger had to draw the line at getting daily doses of mind-blowing terror, thank you very much!

"So…do you think this will work Hermione, you're our camping and exploring expert after all." Harry asked sardonically. He had never had the chance to camp aside from the Horcrux hunt she knew. And that had hardly been under ideal conditions for learning the ins and outs of such things. The Dursleys of course would have preferred to gnaw their own fingers off then do something Harry might have actually enjoyed.

Hermione chuckled at his tone and nodded approvingly. "This will do nicely I should think. Good shelter from the weather will be nice for a start, not that it will likely be a major problem considering we have a wizard's tent. I didn't notice any large game trails running into the ravine, thank Merlin for that, we do not want the local fauna deciding we would make a suitable treat from what we've seen so far. Nor does it appear to flood often." She paused to consider, smiling happily to herself. "We should be safe enough here, though the manuals always said it was smartest to lay wards anyways."

Harry nodded in agreement as she'd expected he would, the Aurors were rarely required to set up shop in any one place outside of civilization for long, not in an age when apparition was so widely used at least. Thus his training had been somewhat lacking in that regard from what he'd told her. That said, she'd been able to acquire a number of older tomes for him to catch up with, ones Hermione herself had helped translate into English, back from when armies used to march with battle mages in their ranks. Number one piece of advice in those volumes she knew had always been to secure your camp and perimeter against infiltrators and wild beasts.

This cave would also provide a degree of protection from the elements, it was cold currently, but she could feel a sort of humid damp in the air which she suspected would make this place ungodly hot during the day.

They'd need a solution to that problem soon enough she was sure. UV protection at the very least for whenever they wanted to work outside during daylight… _Maybe some cooling charms too?_ "Well I'll get the wards set up," She offered, shaking that off. "You keep watch, I didn't like the look of that…thing, we saw earlier." She muttered referring to the giant mantis beast, making a vague hand gesture which somehow managed to clearly convey the notion of 'creepy crawly'.

Setting the wards proved an easy enough task, they didn't require anything permanent just yet, as they might yet find a superior site to work with. So temporary and cast wards were more than sufficient for the moment. Later once both of them were rested and had sorted themselves out they could see to creating something more permanent. If they couldn't find any decent stone around here she'd drag out the rune plates she had bought for just such a purpose.  
She and Harry spent the next ten minutes debating the merits, and seeing to the casting of, various enchantments over the mouth of the cave. She asked Harry to help with checking the wards over before they could return to where she had stowed the packs.

Ward masters had a number of methods for checking over wards, particularly those carved into ward stones. However none of those were necessary for the simple screen she and Harry had set over the cave's entrance. Though she hesitated as she considered the best way to go about asking him to help look things over one last time. Typically she would simply read it with a mage sight charm in his place, to help her spot gaps and errors, but Harry was still a bit tentative, even if his eye for detail was better, the headache from last time had just started to fade she suspected.

However, after a minute or so deliberating she decided it would still be best to go that route and managed to convince him with minimal effort to check the wards using the spell.

He fiddled with his wand a moment before incanting once again, letting out a sigh of relief. He'd used it successfully twice now, just as she had. This time his senses were not so overwhelmed as they had been on the first try. "Mage Sight" as it was called was a magical sensory enhancement charm of sorts. All magicals were to some degree or another sensitive to the presence of magic in the world around them, they could feel a static like charge on their skin from most ward schemes, you could see spells when they were cast, and a few of the more powerful magicals would manifest a visible aura when their emotions ran high.

For the most part that was the greatest extent to which witches and wizards could use their senses to interact with what was called passive or ambient magic. What Mage Sight did was intensify the body's reactions to most sensory input caused by magical stimuli. This made what before was an imperceptible shimmer in the air a glow and so on depending on the nature of the magic in question and the degree of its power. Aurors and Unspeakables received training to use this "sight" to sense the magic in environments around them, as a sort of early warning system.

Here however…It was like everything was fit to burst with magic so opening oneself to the degree one would back home would result in the same phenomena Harry had experienced earlier. Painful sensory overload.

Now, with the spell working at a minimum level Harry could see and sense through the spell much more clearly. Though it must have been far more vivid than anything he was accustomed to she was sure. The wards, they found, were in perfect condition. But they could sense so much more than that now…She'd need to experiment with this later when she had time.

He released the spell, beside her and turned to eye her curiously. "The wards are good. How are you feeling?"

"A little tired, but that will pass, just need to get some food in me and take a short rest." Hermione reported, smiling. Things had gone relatively well so far. Most of her fatigue was likely due to the change in climate she was sure.

He nodded, it was nearing lunch time back home, or at least she assumed it was. Transit had _felt_ instantaneous, but perhaps it had not been? She speculated. Harry set about pulling the still folded up tent from his pack and unfolding it across the ground. It only took a minute after that for the tent to set up following a flick of his wand. And with that, they were in business.

* * *

Felucia  
Thanium Worlds  
En Route to Niango Water Treatment Facility

Jedi Knight Aayla Secura, commander of the 327th Star Corps of the Grand Army of the Republic, breathed in a deep cleansing breath as she prepared to lead her forces against the Separatists in what would hopefully be their final push in this long and hellish campaign.

They had been fortunate, relatively speaking, and until a few short hours ago the Jedi had assumed she'd need to complete her mission with her significantly depleted forces as they already stood. The 327th, despite being a high quality formation, had been embroiled in battle here on this Force forsaken mud ball far too long. The wear and tear was beginning to show in her troops' morale, discipline and equipment.

Thus when another half regiment unit had arrived before sun up that morning she had been relieved, to put it mildly. The clones of this particular group were fresh from Kamino, not a single veteran among them. Though that would not decrease their effectiveness overmuch, she reflected. Clones were professional and skilled to a man and would integrate with her current forces with minimal difficulty, so she at least didn't have to worry about that.

Regardless, she was pleased the ships carrying their reinforcements had also come carrying the long requisitioned supplies and vehicles this prong of the campaign was desperately in need of. Walkers, energy cells, bacta, rations, water purifiers and replacement parts all of which they'd done without for far too long. Not to mention some necessities Aayla was sometimes denied as the sole female … anything really, working in the theatre.

Well that wasn't entirely true, some of the volunteers amongst the medical staff were female, and she wasn't positive but she believed some of the Felucian scouts were female too. However their supplies, were they required, came via volunteer agencies and so didn't get hung up in Republic bureaucracy, where some sleemo would wonder what a clone army needed with feminine supplies, and deny it out of hand. Until some irate female commanding officer or other showed up between deployments and tore a strip off them for making them suffer…She didn't have that option though, it would look bad in the news if a Jedi was to lambast some middle level working stiff. So she had to suffer in silence…which was a depressingly common theme for the Jedi in these times Aayla had to admit even if only to herself.

This specific reprieve was particularly appreciated as it came in a time when they truly needed it. After an abortive raid on a supposed Separatist command compound, the Separatists had set about attempting to poison Felucia's vast water reserves. Not an easy task, though one they undertook doggedly in the desire of denying the Republic this world's resources, regardless of the cost it would inflict on the world's civilian and native population, to say nothing of its ecology. Thus they had dug in around three major water treatment facilities and set about doing their best poisoning the water inside. The 327th had already cleared two of these sites, and the remainder of the separatist forces, droids, mercenaries and a few platoons of regulars, had entrenched around the final facility to the north.

Today…would be a busy one, the Rutian Twi'lek reflected to herself wryly as the command walker she rode on took it's place in the convoy headed to the front lines. And a hot one as well if the feeling in the air was anything to go by. Not that Felucia was anything other than hellishly humid all day everyday, all year round.

She shook her head turning away from the command table secured to the open roofed transport walker's deck. Usually AT-OTs, or All Terrain Open Transports, like this one were fitted for the purpose of carrying whole platoons of soldiers into the thick of battle, this particular specimen however had been retrofitted to act as a mobile command post. Camouflage netting, which provided a little but much appreciated shade, and sensor jammers protected the deck where a holotable command and control rig had been assembled. Some enterprising soul among her men had also seen to bolting on extra splinter shields and sandbags to the vehicle's flanks so it was better protected against enemy infantry fire. Wouldn't do anything really if a Tank got in a lucky shot or if they were unfortunate enough for an artillery shell to land right in the middle of them, but it was better than nothing.

It would be some time before this particular column of the 327th reached the front, so Aayla was hopeful that she might get in some time to meditate and clear her mind of its burdens for a change, before she was required to once again lead her men into battle.

It therefore said something about the quality and experience of the men in the 327th that they no longer batted an eye when she took to sitting cross-legged on the walker's deck. They'd seen her prepare for battle before after all.

To most, it might have seemed a counter productive place in which to set about undertaking a calming meditation, riding on the cargo deck of a combat walker as it marched to war. But Aayla had long since come to find the slow motion of the walker's rolling stride soothing after a fashion, and it allowed her to sink into her meditation soon enough despite her surroundings.

Taking a deep breath and then slowly releasing it, Aayla extended her senses opening herself to the Force and the world around her.

As ever the frustrating shroud of the darkside hid all hints of the future she might have sought. An unfortunate handicap to any Jedi who prepared for battle in these times, but a reality the order and it's members had long since come to accept in this conflict. She like so many others had trouble remembering a time when they could see the future as clearly as they had before the Clone Wars and the decade or so preceding them.

The shroud, such as it was, was almost certainly a tool of their enemy, the Sith who the Jedi knew had secretly orchestrated this war and sought to prolong it for their own purposes. It allowed their enemy to move unseen and their actions to better wound the Jedi and the Republic. The Jedi were…aware, or at the very least could guess what it was that likely drove their enemy. Vengeance, for perceived wrongs so long forgotten few remembered them well among the most learned, and fewer still among the long lived of the galaxy.

It said something about the depth of the Sith's hate for the Jedi and the Republic they served, that they had not forgiven nor forgotten their defeat so long ago. But then again, that was what it meant to be Sith. To wallow, revel and _indulge_ in their own negative emotions to fuel their use of the Force in their mad quest for power.

Aayla shook off that reflection as she decided to stop pressing against the shroud's influence, it did no good and merely wasted her energy to beat her head against that wall. Her powers were not such that they could equal the dark side on this particular field of battle. And so she moved onto something much simpler, something even the veil only marginally affected. Sensing her surroundings. As she once more breathed in allowing her senses to dominate her consciousness she began to feel the Force within herself, then soon enough as she stretched out, within the clones around her, and in the forest and animals beyond.

It took time and patience but eventually she even began to perceive the barest touches of the Force in the metal hull of the walker she rode upon and in the air which danced and played around them.

She continued to stretch out, feeling the world of Felucia, rich as it was in the force, in it's entirety. Ahead to the north of her convoy's position, Niango a small resort city, and the water treatment plant which was her objective.

To the south, she sensed the swarming activity which was the Republic Forward Operations Base, and—

She paused, her attention flicking to something ephemeral she couldn't quite pin down. A whisper in the distance, a dark murmur on the edge of her perception, a twitch in the wind.

Aayla gave a start as a barked call from one of the clones disturbed her from her meditation, and she sighed. It was always thus, the clones did their best not to disturb her in such times, they really did, but…there was only so much one could do when working under war conditions.

She shrugged mentally and clambered to her feet, dusting herself off, soon enough they would reach their destination and it would be time to go to work. If she could not meditate, there were other ways in which to prepare.

* * *

Ravine Camp (Location Unknown)

Hermione stopped mid-bite, cocking her head to the side. She had been settling down to eat lunch with her friend, after having sorted away the supplies into the various stasis chests in the storage room and kitchen, pointedly ignoring the way Harry idly handed a small chunk of bacon under the table to his familiar, when something quite blatantly skipped across her conscious perceptions. She only had a moment to wonder at that odd sensation when a clatter drew her attention and she saw Harry staring off into space, his knife and fork abandoned on the table in front of him.

"Tell me you felt that too?" Harry asked, shaking off whatever had distracted them , before turning to look intently at his friend.

Hermione nodded slowly, trying to make sense of just what it had been that she'd felt, "Yes, though I don't know precisely what it was." She admitted confusedly. The only time she'd felt something like that before was…

Harry spared her a vaguely amused look before slowly starting to speak as he tried to put what he'd felt into words. "It almost felt like…well, kinda like someone had cast a sensory spell I guess—except it was less focused?— though a lot more powerful than any I've felt before…" He then grimaced at the vagueness of his description.

Hermione pulled out a notebook and started writing that down. "Interesting, I wonder if the local fauna has adapted to the high level of magic in the area and uses it as a…" She shook her head cutting herself off. "No, no, it's too soon to make that kind of conclusion, and besides just because we have yet to meet any intelligent species doesn't mean there are no magic users around somewhere."

Harry considered that, and nodded. "Do you think we should maybe find the source?" He stopped as he noted the slight frown which creased his friend's face.  
"I'd…hesitate to suggest that right now. They may have sensed us despite our wards if what you said about their power level is correct—" Hermione ventured. "And we should be cautious here. We don't know who may be out there, if they're friendly or not."

Her friend considered that fingers drumming idly on the table, "If it was a local...do you think someone like Sirius would have gone to check it out? It's not like there's a ton of other things to draw and hold his attention around here."

Again she frowned, but shrugged noncommittally, "I suppose it's possible, Harry. He is rather reckless like that. Although to be fair there is of course the fact that he'd have no idea what was going on after arriving here, or even where he was so he'd likely be forced to seek out another magical if he hoped to learn more."

Her friend couldn't help but frown a bit at that, but had to concede her point. "I still think we should see if we can get an idea where it came from, at the very least we could see if it's getting closer to us."

Hermione paused considering then nodded accepting the argument as valid. Another notion occurred to her and she suggested a compromise. "All that being said, you aren't wrong I suppose, and I think we'd be well served to at least observe the locals from a distance if we can, before making contact. If they are hostile, well…we'll try to find the Wandering Star on our own. However it would be nice to have their support." She pondered.

Eventually she bobbed her head once in acceptance then shrugged. "Well, let us finish eating first, and then we can see about making sure Juno and Crooks are sorted. Then we'll see about, finding the source of that spell." She suggested.

"You sure you want to come along?" Harry asked, "I could handle it if you want…"

She snorted in amusement. "Honestly, Harry, we're here to explore, it's the official purpose of all this venture. If I'm not going to do any exploring I might as well have stayed home." She noted dryly.

He chuckled, conceding the point as he returned to his meal. "Alright, but let's make sure we're completely sorted before we go. I'm betting you noticed the temperature rising before we came in here, and the sun was just barely lighting the horizon then. We'll want to make sure we stay cool."

She agreed with his assessment. In here they were protected from the worst of it by the spells woven into the fabric of the tent unlike the cheap model they'd procured for the Horcrux hunt. But out there, they'd be at the mercy of the elements.

As she pondered that she couldn't help but worry about these potential natives, if they were hostile, they might have a lot worse troubles than a little bad weather…

The familiars proved easy to handle. Juno was as easy going as ever, chuffing happily as she explored the tent and cave, and Crooks was a suitably feline aloof, only briefly showing any signs of surprise upon being presented with their new surroundings during a quick sojourn outside for the sake of stretching out and familiarizing them with the sights.

Unfortunately this was where they met their first hiccup. Hermione had taken Crookshanks and went in search of her bedroom to properly sort her stuff away before they left. She'd passed through the doorway marked "Quarters and Bathroom", only to find out that those labels were both singular. There was one bathroom, albeit a delightfully large and luxurious one, and a single bedroom. With a large bed.

Harry had, upon seeing that, sighed explosively, and offered to take the bullet such as it was, and transfigure the couch should it be needed. She was grateful for his willingness to sacrifice for her. But also a little appalled with both herself and the Department. Herself for not checking to ensure the tent was suitable to their purposes beforehand and trusting the Department quartermaster to actually know what he was doing. That had apparently been quite a mistake.

In the end she had suggested switching out who got the bedroom each night, though she'd been unable to get Harry to agree to that in the time they had. The trail of magic was slowly fading so time was a commodity they risked running short on in this matter. She opted instead to delay any further discussion until they got back.

She and Harry spent a good fifteen minutes simply memorizing the area around their camp so they could safely apparate back to camp upon demand. This amount of time was largely to reassure herself as she was fretting about what they might encounter out there somewhat. Then they had applied the charms and spells they felt necessary to ensure their safety here. Sunblock spells, bug repellent spells, cooling charms etc.

The first apparition was exhilarating! The thrill of exploration and discovery had settled in her bones, becoming more real and she could tell the hope of maybe someday finding his godfather had somewhat settled in Harry's. It seemed to lend them both energy beyond the norm...or that could just have been the frisson of magic in the air feeding their excitement, either way it was a welcome addition to the sights before them as they went on. The first vista they encountered when they arrived at their destination only added to that. Maybe it was the magic laden air, or the bizarre beauty of the world stretching before them, but she could swear that each time she closed her eyes and simply drank the world around her in, that any weariness washed away.

Their first apparition had taken them up rather than over. Though Harry insisted he was able to sense the rough direction of the magic's source when he immersed himself in the Mage Sight spell it was only a tentative direction rather than a specific location, so they made a short hop up to the top of one of the large fungal trees to try and determine a rough system of directions. Hermione was very relieved when the "Point Me" spell seemed to indicate that the sun was rising from the East. Some things at least seemed to carry over from Earth to this world. One less strange thing to try and cope with at least. The magic seemed to be coming from the North so that was the direction they started off in.

Over the next half hour or so they had to stop repeatedly as Harry felt for that brief glimmer of magic they had sensed. Slowly but surely honing in on the source as they hopped closer and closer. It was a testament to the power of that spell, that they had sensed it so strongly so far away!

Still, they were cautious in proceeding, picking their destinations on the horizon carefully in the hopes of avoiding any unfortunate accidents. They were just too unfamiliar with this world's terrain. It was becoming uncertain as it was, just how far they had travelled after a time and as to whether or not they were actually getting closer.

Hermione was in fact beginning to get worried when they made yet another jump, and Harry once again sank into the effects of the sensory spell. However this time when he came out of it he smiled up at her before clambering back to his feet from where he'd sat himself on the ground. "Well I think we're almost there, If I'm right the source of our not so little sensory spell is on the other side of that mountain." he said indicating a peak relatively close to their own position.

Mountain may have been a bit generous, some particularly fastidious souls might insist on calling it a knoll or perhaps a foothill, but it certainly qualified by the standards of someone who had mostly only seen those within the lower UK, like Harry.

"How can you be certain?" She asked curiously, not so much doubting his thought process as wondering how he'd reached his conclusion.

Harry just smiled in amusement. "You try it, tell me what you see when you look over there." He suggested pointing again. She had spared him a mildly exasperated look, but gamely played along.

She uttered the spell and as she felt the Mage Sight settle over her senses she saw immediately what it was he was referring to.

She had never experienced such a thing as being able to literally sense another of their kind at such a distance before, to her knowledge no one had. But here, in this place? Where everything was so steeped in that ephemeral force that was magic, here everything seemed to radiate, to echo. It was strange, and beautiful even as it was confusing seeing as Hermione had not seen Harry flare like a light as this presence seemed to do. She wondered at that, was this being just that much more powerful than they, or was something else at play?

This being here however, whoever they were, Harry and Hermione could feel the echoes of their actions from literally miles away. Sharp and fast. She could practically see them from here, feel them, taste them. She paused to assure herself of the source's location, and had to agree with Harry's assessment. It was there, on the far side of that foothill in the distance.

"I see what you mean," She agreed, trying hard to remain mature and upright in the face of his amusement only to give in when he waggled his eyebrows at her. She made a face at him which prompted them both to laugh. The excitement they felt so far was intoxicating.

She was excited true, but she was still Hermione, so she took her time as they began to prepare for the next jump. She and Harry collected themselves once more, making sure they were focusing so as not to accidentally splinch in their enthusiasm as they approached their destination, and then made their next jump.

Even Harry arrived with a crack at their destination, something which more than anything told her just how excited he was. Over the last couple years Harry had more or less rid himself of the loud telltale sound of apparition with plenty practice. Something she was mildly jealous of if she was going to be honest. Upon arrival she eagerly cast her eyes about and proceeded to blink in surprise a moment later.

Stretching off away into the distance below him was a large jungle covered plain. A jungle which very clearly was burning. How had she not noticed the smoke before? Had she merely mistaken them for clouds at their previous distance? Vast swathes of the jungle and undergrowth had been cleared before the flickering lights of fire, and columns of thick billowing smoke reached high into the sky above them. But there was more, she could tell that the moment she focused on the magic about her, even before her eyes processed what they were seeing. How she'd not sensed this before their arrival she did not know, however…

These fires were not natural occurrences, these were the fires of battle, something she had hoped never to encounter again after the Battle of Hogwarts. She could almost hear the emotions filtering up from below even at this distance due to the magic about them how, she did not know, but the experience was so far out of the norm for her, she found it overwhelming. They practically shrieked, grating horribly on her senses, loud and insistent. She fought the urge to retch, stunned by the hammer blow against her senses, and the pit that formed in her gut.

And there, she could see it now, down among the trees. Flashes of red and blue light, like that of rippling waves of spell fire bounding back and forth across the field, the occasional flare of white light and fire heralding an explosion.

Her confused stupor was disrupted as something large roared close overheard, causing her to duck in alarm as a large white and red object flew above them before then gliding low over the field below to join others of it's kind, strange craft different from any she'd seen back home, circling the field like vultures.

She looked to her friend, and found him standing next to her grim faced. He merely nodded, indicating a spot below them, before gesturing more pointedly with a finger. "There, down among the trees. I can see them in Mage Sight…it's like a beacon." She nodded absentmindedly, staring numbly at the devastation below them. Part of her was yelling that they should get away, that it was dangerous there. But another part could not tear itself away from watching.

" _Merlin_ , I hope that Sirius isn't here…" Harry murmured. "I know it's been years, but if he got involved with the locals and drawn into their war..."

She blinked, and the pit in her stomach clenched in an icy fist. However unlikely it was, if he were to lose his godfather again, when there was a potential chance to get Sirius back…It would destroy him. She fervently hoped that the Potter Luck didn't extend to Sirius Black in this case and the older man had for once managed to avoid getting into trouble.

"I need to go and check Hermione. I need to make sure he's not there," Harry said standing up straight and focusing down to the battle. Hermione found she couldn't deny him this, and straightened up beside him. Harry's course was set the moment that thought had finished crystallizing in his mind, she knew. She found herself hoping desperately that his godfather wasn't caught up in the midst of what was clearly a titanic battle…

"Let's go," She croaked, then cleared her throat. "Let's make sure to keep a shield up just in case, and we'll need to try and be quiet." She admonished weakly, still feeling ill as the emotions and sensations washed over her from below. He nodded, clearly relieved she had accepted this and proceeded to visibly steel himself. A few moments later and they were down on the field itself, among the trees skirting the worst of the fighting. She had followed him through the apparition, trusting him to guide her in close to their target.

As worried as he was Harry had been trained well she knew, by brutal experience in the last war, and by the Auror instructors in more recent years. He knew as well as she, that in this kind of environment they would be in serious danger should they be seen. He erected a series of mobile combat shields around himself, then turned to Hermione ensuring she was outfitted with the same. Unspeakable training tended to lack in that field after all, so ensuring she was as well protected as he was paramount in his mind, he wouldn't let anything to happen to her.

Then they added a linked disillusionment charm to the ensemble and a notice-me-not spell. In times past they would have relied on the protection afforded by his invisibility cloak, however in the brush and detritus littering this area the cloak would be less than reliable, prone to snagging and showing their movements as clearly as if they weren't under it. That wasn't even considering the fact they were no longer twelve and small enough to both fit under it safely. The linked Disillusionment they were using instead would keep them invisible from everyone except each other. Hopefully it would be enough.

She readied herself a bit, knowing what was to come next and carefully made her way along in Harry's wake closer towards the source of that magic energy. Soon, as they picked their way through the underbrush the trees began to thin and she found herself having to duck low as the occasional stray bolt of crimson energy flashed overhead. She couldn't help but shake her head at this foolhardiness, this kind of thing was precisely what they needed to avoid if they were to survive this expedition, and yet here they were.

Assuming they didn't get blow apart in the crossfire, she'd need to relax after this rather badly. Already her nerves were raw and aching from the tension and she could swear she could feel her own blood humming through her veins the closer they got to their goal.

And then she saw it, as she neared edge of the tree line with her friend. Hunkering low in the brush behind a half shattered fungal tree, she could finally see the field of battle properly. Two armies, battling amongst the ruined and scorched remains of the fungal forest around them, facing each other across the boggy, stirred up mire of the battlefield.

The side facing them, the source of the red flashes of light which she now began to understand were not magic, but some new and creative method of killing, of the sort mundane people everywhere managed to dream up all the time. Machines, no, robots thousands of them. Great war machines crawled across the landscape, surrounded by slowly marching droves of skeletal infantry robots, and hulking beetle like monstrosities. All stiffly moving onward despite the withering blue fire coming from the side nearest themselves.

Which brought her attention to those closer at hand. Here again were war machines, equally massive in size, but of a different and distinctive design from those across the field. These squatted low to the terrain on powerful mechanical legs, massive guns roaring defiantly at the oncoming mechanical horde. But it was not these which drew her eye the most.

No, there hurrying about between the walking fortresses, were soldiers, clearly organic in nature judging by the fluidity of their movements in comparison to their enemy. Every one of them clad in white armour, spattered with mud and stained by ash. Glimpses of yellow heraldry affixed here and there to their uniforms. They carried weapons which included everything from low profile, short barrelled weapons to bulky long guns that required two hands to hold properly and even one or two hefting heavy rotary barrelled affairs that had to be slung underhanded to use.

Once again her attention was broken by one of the low flying vehicles overhead as one of them swooped low over the field blue and green bolts of light stitching through the machines across the open no man's land in between them. She couldn't help but watch stunned as a green lance lashed out and carved one of the hulking robotic war machines in half, which then exploded in a shower of debris casting many of the skeletal robots into the muck about it, shattering whole ranks of them in the waves of concussive force.

She had to shake her head sorrowfully as she huddled down behind a particularly big tree stump next to her friend. It was just typical of their luck, that the Veil would drop them on a world at war…That was the way things worked for them after all. Although she had to grudgingly give points for creativity to fate this time. Judging by the magical atmosphere here she would not have expected to run into an organic/machine war straight from some muggle sci-fi film.  
It was also about par for their luck that the one magic user they'd sensed since coming here would be right in the middle of this mess, she noted with a grimace!

Which once again reminded her why she was risking life and limb mucking about in this lethal mire with her friend, and she once again turned her attention to helping Harry find that magical source which had drawn them here on the off chance Sirius might have been lured into their company…

And that was when they saw her.

A woman, as that what was she had to be with a figure like that Hermione noted with a brief flash of wistful envy. Though she was clearly unlike any woman Hermione had ever had occasion to see before. Not because the woman was tall and lithe, clearly athletic, like so many others really. No, the first and most incongruous thing the duo picked up on about her was this: she was blue.

Not blue as though she had painted her skin in some sort of primal war ritual, no. Her skin was actually blue, Not only that, she had tentacles! Growing out of her head in place of hair! Two long appendages which hung behind her lying against her back. Hermione's mind was screeching protests at the mere notion of it! A near human species of blue alien ladies, somewhere the universe was laughing at her she was certain.

This female alien, whoever she was, also happened to be perhaps the most oddly clad person in Hermione's field of view. Whatever she had expected a magic user to be wearing into a combat zone of this nature, it certainly was not... _that_.

 _Good grief_ she thought to herself bemusedly, it's more like an exercise outfit than any kind of armour. Tight, form fitting pants, possibly leather, with a shirt of the same material that bared all of her midriff and more than a little of her cleavage.

 _Good Merlin woman. What, do the magicals around here believe in leaving a good looking corpse?_ She asked in disbelief.

Despite the woman's rather...incongruous appearance, she apparently managed to fit right in with the soldiers around her, which greatly confused both humans hunkered down in the bushes. If Harry's expression was anything to go by she wasn't the only one confused by all this. The blue woman and the soldiers near her were all hunkered in the mess behind one of the heavy walking tanks as it continued to fire at the robotic army across the way. None of them seeming all that concerned by the apparent robotic apocalypse going on around them, nor by the occasional bolt of red which skipped off the armoured hull or whined overhead.

What was more Hermione soon came to realize, when Harry leaned in to murmur an observation in her ear, not only did she fit in. Somehow this woman who, frankly to her eyes, looked more the part of professional...dancer or fitness, instructor, was in fact the one _in charge_. It was all there Harry explained to her, in the way the soldiers gathered round her, the way they tilted their heads and interacted with each other, the way she seemed to read the flow of battle and guide the men around her.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder _who in the universe runs an army like this? Surely it's absurd even to the locals?_

Harry for his part couldn't help but watch this series of events in fascination, with the seemingly humanoid soldiers pulling a clear but costly victory out of the fray, until it reached it's conclusion. As finally, whatever had been discussed by the strange woman and the soldiers in the meantime, had apparently been sorted out.

Harry and Hermione both wanted to yell out to the woman as she strode purposefully towards the front lines. To warn away someone who seemed so woefully unprepared for war.

It was then that they were met with yet another surprise, as if the day hadn't been full of them already. It still managed to shock both into silence. The woman had started towards the frontline at an almost leisurely pace before, quite suddenly, she blurred into motion. Dashing about at an incredible pace, far in excess of what they'd expect of a fit woman of her apparent stature she was rushing forward towards the enemy before leaping into the air as a pair of silvery shards in her hands ignited and what for all appearances seemed to be blades of purest azure and viridian light sprung forth. Her titanic leap brought her arching down among the closing ranks of the robotic forces to land with a crash and a blur of blue and green light.

As the machines around her began to collapse in piles of molten, dismembered metal, Hermione couldn't help but think, _What in the name of Morgana's saggy bottom is going on around here?_ She was quite surprised when Harry started to laugh, and she realized to her mortification that she had asked that aloud.

* * *

Close To Half An Hour Later.  
Felucia  
Thanium Worlds  
En Route to Niango Water Treatment Facility

Aayla settled in on her haunches, taking a sip from her canteen as she stared across the field watching the Separatist forces retreat in disarray back towards the water treatment plant in the distance. Her forces were dogging their progress with heavy fire as they pressed on towards the objective. She winced in mild sympathy as a mass driver shell landed among a squad of separatist regulars. Not _all_ the enemy forces were machines.

Yesterday had been busy, sure enough. And true to predictions, today was looking to be about the same. _Story of her life lately_ she noted dryly to herself… She and the clone forces at her command had raided the local Separatist leader's stronghold the previous day. However the cowardly Gossam leader of the Commerce Guild, Shu Mai, had long since fled, leaving a trap in her wake. They had managed to avoid the worst of it but that mess had still left them wary and cautious, she felt certain that the enemy would have some sort of surprise waiting for them at Niango as well if only to spite them a few more clones…

Successfully purging and reversing the sabotage at both Gar Hau and Jaizo however was still a positive in her mind even now. Something she felt a great deal of satisfaction at achieving, with good reason.

This battle like so many before was proving far more difficult than Jedi of the modern age had come to be accustomed to. In the past they would have quite easily sensed traps and sabotage on such a scale. Now however, with the dark side confusing the matter…

She shook her head tiredly, pushing to her feet. These thoughts were unusually maudlin for the Twi'lek female, even considering her state of exhaustion. And she couldn't help but wonder if the dark side was behind the growing sense of disquiet she'd felt over the past day. Or was it simpler than that? Perhaps it was merely a side effect of the knowledge of what horrors the enemy had planned for this world?

Try as she might over the last few minutes since the end of the latest skirmish, she couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching her though. She'd done everything she could over the last couple hours to dispel the feeling up to and including dispatching an increased number of patrols to watch their flanks for any scouts which might be observing them or hidden squads of droids waiting to ambush the advancing Republic forces.

Whatever it was however, was not easily discernible in the Force. Nevertheless it was there, a persistent nagging feeling which prickled the skin at the base of her lekku. Needless to say this worried her. If she was being watched, and yet the enemy still managed to avoid detection they were likely utilizing the method the Sith orchestrating this war used to move unseen.

She grimaced at that assumption, she had no intelligence as yet suggesting any Sith were present in this theatre, a mercy albeit a small one, Count Dooku was dead, killed in the battle above Coruscant five months ago ******. Ventress…was missing, and had not been seen for a long time. It was unknown whether she was dead or alive. *****

Grievous of course was not a Sith, merely an advanced Cyborg, so she was reasonably certain he would not have elicited this response from the Force, even if he were so inclined to lurk in the bush…Which he probably wouldn't be, instead tending to prefer leaping in with reckless abandon to destroy anything in his path.

The remaining possibilities were even more remote. Word from Mandalore was that Savage Opress had been killed in the fighting there, and his brother Darth Maul had vanished soon after. _Good riddance_ Aayla was quick to think on the matter.

Aayla barely spared the notion of the Dark Lord of the Sith himself being present a moment of scorn. Such a being was hardly likely to be squatting in the bushes on Felucia watching her during what was, in the grand scheme of things, a minor conflict in this war.

She shook her head again and sighed tiredly, biting off one last piece of her ration bar before packing it away. It did no good to dwell on such things, she would be cautious, but devoting too much additional thought to this would dull her focus. Focus she needed for the battle to come. Still…Was it just her or had the jungle fallen bizarrely quiet?

* * *

Felucia Underbrush  
Near Niango

Harry was nervous, Hermione was nervous, and judging by the woman's body language Blue Lady was nervous too. Said blue lady had clearly become more agitated the longer they watched her, though Hermione had often wondered over the past half hour why they hadn't returned to camp - far away from the war zone - once they were relatively certain Sirius wasn't around.

Instead, they had settled in and watched, disbelieving at the woman's actions until the fighting had ceased. From there matters had become somewhat more...complicated. If the fighting was over, the danger had passed for the most part, at least in theory. Perhaps now was a good opportunity to see about safely introducing themselves was the unspoken question passing between Harry and Hermione?

Not that it'd be easy, the snarky skeptic in Hermione's head declared, this was after all a woman in the middle of a war zone, escorted by an army on the march, even a fool could tell they'd likely take poorly to a strange pair stumbling out of the bush on their flank wanting to meet their leader…  
And if Hermione was any judge, Harry would find it very hard to resist asking to be taken to said leader.

They'd have been out of there already in all likelihood had it not been for the soldiers swarming through the trees or the way the woman had taken to eyeing the brush in their direction at odd moments, despite their efforts to conceal themselves. In the past half hour or so, they'd had to dodge three patrols of white clad soldiers she'd dispatched to the flanks. Being both held in place and forced onwards alongside her forces if they wished to remain undetected. It was disconcerting that even if she apparently could not directly detect their presence, she still knew on some level that they were there. Perhaps she could even pursue them if they apparated away? Hermione wouldn't put it past her after the way the woman had almost literally flown across the battlefield.

Hermione and Harry watched warily as the woman paced a few steps closer to the tree line, her eyes darting back and forth suspiciously. Hermione noted absently that one of the soldiers, one with a significant amount of yellow heraldry on his armour, and a strange visor over his eyes, was conversing into some sort of holographic device which projected a small glowing figure in light before him. She could tell Harry had noticed it too and was frowning at the man, a perplexed furrow creasing his brow. Whatever it was it seemed to have ratcheted up the man's tension by the end of the conversation, and he marched stiffly over to a band of his companions, before speaking with them.

Hermione shook her head, drawing her eyes off the woman. As important as she was, the soldiers merited her caution as well. A justified change in tact it turned out as soon the woman had called out to them in a strange tongue Hermione naturally didn't recognize, causing them to draw near to her.

Harry shook his head wearily as she led them purposefully towards the brush, and patted Hermione to try and get her moving so they could maybe move out of the way. Whatever it was she had sensed from them, clearly it had been bothering her enough that she had finally decided to investigate personally. It wouldn't be long before they closed with them at this rate.

The woman tromped through the brush, the soldiers tense and uneasy as the followed. Hermione couldn't help but note the difference in their demeanour when compared with her observations earlier. There was an odd… _discordance_ to their emotions, what strange echoes of it she could still feel in the magic around them, and they had become stiff in their movements.

Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that something had them unhappy, and uncertain. Was it just her and her friend's presence and the unease it had created in their leader, or were they worried about a trap? Or was it something—

The woman was less than ten feet from Hermione when the lot of them, the two humans in the bush and their pursuers both, were startled by a bird breaking cover a couple meters away. Cawing madly as it fought desperately for altitude.

But their eyes, unlike the woman's were soon on the soldiers instead of the bird, and Hermione's stomach clenched as she saw the weapons start to rise, she had but a moment to realize the weapons were not tracking the bird, but woman before them.

And as the woman too began to turn something causing her hands to stray to the...sword? hilts at her belt, Harry began to move. Hermione, admirably, was not far behind him. Neither of them could have told anyone why, then or later. They knew nothing of what was really going on, they just knew that this woman, so recently in command of these soldiers, was about to be fired upon by her own men.

Harry was already moving, his disillusionment falling away first as his wand came up and a shield began to rise as the first bolts of blue energy streaked out. First one, then another and another struck and the woman jerked, her surprised pain and confusion already ringing through the air around them and then the shield was up, soon accompanied by Hermione's own, her own concealment spells breaking as her focus changed with Harry's own.

The woman was falling, as the shields rippled under the barrage. The soldiers startled by their sudden appearance staggered back in shock. Nevertheless both newcomers knew, on some basic level, they couldn't fight these turncoats right now. The woman was injured, and their shields had taken far more of a battering than either one expected from the soldiers' weapons fire.

Hermione kept her wand up murmuring additional incantations to intensify the defences between them and the attackers and reinforce the damaged field already in place. Almost at the same time, Harry's arm fell and he flicked his wand sideways at the woman where she lay, a silent stasis spell enclosing over her with a flash, the soldiers regaining their composure with admirable speed, weapons coming back up.

They needed to move fast Hermione knew, Harry's efforts had likely stalled death's hand, but soon enough if they did not escape in time, regardless of any stasis charm she would die. Harry didn't didn't give the soldiers a chance to regroup whilst they focused on the swirling nimbus of energy the two newcomer's efforts had created between them and the soldiers. He moved using Hermione's shield for cover as he began firing a string of heavy bludgeoning hexes at them. Flinging several through the air and battering the others to the ground as they tried to stand strong under the rain of invisible blows.

Using the distraction provided, Harry quickly ducked low scooping the woman up in his arms, pausing only to summon her fallen weapons into his hands, and confer quickly with Hermione via silent glance, and jerk of his chin, before turning on the spot and disapparating away. It was not hard for her to guess his destination, there was only one place they could go after all, and she followed a moment later.

As silence fell over the little glade and the stunned and bruised soldiers got back to their feet, one, the commander of this ill fated and despised little venture clambered to his feet and asked the obvious question. "Okay, what the _Kriff_ just happened?"

* * *

 ***** I am aware of the novel in which Ventress died saving Quinlan Vos from Count Dooku. I have chosen to ignore this bit of canon, as cool as it was.  
 ****** Best estimate based on information I scraped together from wookiepedia and various forums.

 **Acknowledgements:** First and foremost much thanks to my beta's for this chapter Temporal Knight and Mordreek. Without them this story would not be possible. Second of all, this story was born from the enjoyment I gained by reading 'Last Second Savior' by Plums and 'Sword and Magic' by Bluminous. This story despite a similar beginning will be somewhat different from theirs of course. And finally, thank you, thank you, thank you for the WONDERFUL response you all provided to the Prologue. It was deeply gratifying to see that kind of enthusiasm for something I poured so much work into.

 **A Request:** One of my Betas is not actually a Star Wars fan (I know, GASP!), though they were kind enough to suffer through the beta process for me. I prefer to do my work with two betas if at all possible. So if any of you out there are available for such things on a regular basis and willing to help out, please let me know!


	3. Chapter 2

Felucia Wilds  
Ravine Camp

Hermione appeared with a crack just outside the entrance to their little cave hideaway, just a few short steps behind Harry.

To say she was feeling ill would be something of an understatement. Despite the recently added distance between themselves and the battlefield behind them, she could still sense a barrage of emotions and sights which were obviously not of her own mind.

The barest flashes of images…visions, feelings of shock, betrayal, pain…and fear choked the air around her. That would be bad enough as it was, were they not accompanied by the sights and sounds which accompanied them.

Flickers of light, blue and green predominant, but some of other colours, all swirling, clashing. She pinched her eyes closed hoping to blot out the images, to little effect as she felt another surge of emotions. These were powerful and thick, a tar-like miasma which threatened to choke her mind with their vitriol.

When she opened her eyes to look up at Harry where he was waiting for her, she could tell just by seeing his expression that he too was seeing what she was. Though it had to be said he seemed to be bearing up under it better than she, but considering the hash that had been made of his early life Hermione really wasn't that surprised.

Hermione remembered with a start that Harry had, in fact some experience in dealing with feelings and thoughts not his own swarming in his head. She had been sympathetic on an intellectual level back then of course, but she could never truly have understood what that was really like until now. It was very unnerving to say the least.

So it was unsurprising then that Harry managed to collect himself before she did, straightening and meeting her eyes more surely, the alien woman still in his arms. "Hermione, I need you to do something." She was already nodding even before he finished speaking, "I need you to reinforce the wards, I don't think those…people, back there can follow us, but I'd really rather be certain that they can't find us if they do."

She bobbed her head once again, not inclined to argue. She'd long ago found that her friend had good instincts when it came to times of crisis, and they had seldom truly led them astray.

On some level she understood just what he was doing, whether or not it was conscious on his part. Harry was indeed ensuring their safety yes, but he was also giving her something else to focus on. Something to take her mind off what was happening to them, which was a welcome reprieve from the circles her mind seemed to like to run in while in a panic.

Her friend then shifted the woman's weight in his arms, and despite the stasis charm upon her some of her disturbingly human looking blood stained his shirt and jacket. He grimaced before turning and heading for the tent at a jog, both of them understood well just how short the woman's time likely was.

Hermione watched them go until the tent flap fell back into place behind them, then shifted her focus to the task at hand. She was lucky she had supplies for this sort of thing on her person. Not a lot exactly, but more than enough for the task at hand. At least she wouldn't have to go digging in the tent for what she needed potentially distracting Harry while he was busy trying to save their patient.

She looked down, pulling a leather pouch off her waist band and opened it. This pouch was one of her own creations, similar in function to her old beaded purse in that it was larger on the inside than on the outside, but not nearly as expansive inside, the consequence of having to work with a more robust material.  
Inside its depths it carried her emergency stash. Mostly basic healing potions and the like, but in this case a few rune stone tablets and some magnetic chalk as well.

The young witch set out her tools and supplies on the ground and got to work, pulling out her wand and beginning to carve the runic arrays onto the tablets according to function.

The first stone was the easiest, one she'd constructed many a time before. The first rune, large and in the centre, Thurisaz as it was known in Elder Futhark, a rune embodying the concepts of reactive force, for defence in conflict, as well as the concept of regeneration following struggle. A line with an arrow pointing right off it's side, you could easily see why it was sometimes referred to as "The Thorn".

She pulled out her magnetic chalk as she finished carving that, and enchanted the small stick of minerals to begin inscribing her formulas as small as possible around the rune. The formulas she inscribed were the arithmantic personifications of every variant of the Protego charm, including Horribilis. She followed it up with Fianto Duri, every alarm and security formula, Salvio Hexia (a hex repelling spell) as well as Cave and Repello Inimicum and Muggletum. Spells to both alert them to the presence of enemies or muggles, as well as drive them away. She found a little space left on the front surface to inscribe some animal repelling wards as well.

All of those inscriptions would add context to the intent she layered into the enchantments, anchoring them to reality with runes to form the wards.  
She then flipped the tablet and inscribed the secondary runes, Algiz, another rune of protection, though this one was more suited to protecting of others dear to oneself, as well as to ward off evil. The symbol of a guardian. This would particularly aid the repelling wards and shields, while enhancing and fortifying the defensive intent of the wards.

Uruz, meaning strength, energy and tenacity, linked here with Eihwaz, which also embodied strength, but also endurance or fortification, particularly in the area of defence. These two would work well together under her intent to fortify and intensify the strength of the wards once raised.

Ending with Kenaz, meaning it was open to new strength, energy and power. This linked to Eihwaz, and then the others was to act as the power source and distribution system for the entire array.

The second Rune stone was both more simple and harder at the same time. The magics she would need to inscribe were more complex but the rune work was easier.

First and foremost was Perthro, which literally meant magic, but also embodying the attributes of hidden things, mysteries, secrets and occult ability. With the formulas of every concealment spell she could think of, including some for smell of all things as well as unplotability , inscribed around it this would anchor the wards which would make them all but invisible.

The next rune Isa, would be reversed to counter it's normal intent. In its new configuration it meant Illusion and deceit, but also stealth. In particular it would enhance the disillusionment ward.

This stone was finished out with Eihwaz, Uruz, and Kenaz again to anchor the strength of the wards in self-defence but also to power it and give it durability.  
Nearly done now. She made a small incision in her hand with her wand allowing blood to well out, so it could be used to seal the enchantments on the stones.  
She directed the blood out of the cut in thin rivulets with her wand, and ran them into the carved runes before sealing them in place and then closing the wound. Then she incanted the charm used to begin powering an enchantment and ran as much power as she felt safe into jump starting the wards. Once running they would draw on the magic in the world around them, as that had been her intent when creating them. But for now, her expended strength would get them running immediately and add a bit of durability should someone attack them in the near future.

Unlikely, but she felt the need to be cautious. She sagged a bit as the last of the magic she was channeling entered the tablets and the wards were finally made ready. All that was left was to place the stones and activate them.

She used her wand to flatten the usually porous stone at two points on either side of the cave entrance, then used a spell to fuse the tablets in place. She then activated them and they disappeared from sight as the concealing magics took effect. She checked her work and deemed it good.

Hermione had done her best for now, and needed to check on Harry and see how he was managing with their new guest. Thinking thus, she turned and started back to the tent, entering only to momentarily stop in surprise, taken aback by what Harry had managed while she was away.

Harry had, in her absence basically converted the centre of the main living room of the tent into an operating theatre, complete with hovering lights, stainless steel operating table, alcohol wipes, swabs, and little metal carts covered in potion bottles.

On the operating table, the woman…if such was actually the correct term for an alien female, was face down upon it, head propped up on a special pillow which kept her face clear but didn't risk injuring her neck like turning it would.

She was also naked, except for some sheets he had conjured and placed over her in abundance to preserve as much of her modesty as he safely could. Hermione noted that the clothes, ruined and bloody as they were had been cut away and placed aside on a cart.

Since she couldn't see Juno or Crookshanks she assumed they had retreated to allow Harry to work.

He looked up quickly as she entered, stripping off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to work. He nodded shortly to her before looking back down at his patient, seeming to work on getting into the right frame of mind for what lay ahead of him. He began erecting monitor charms and scanning spells around the woman, little illusionary readouts projecting themselves in the air around her similar to the hard light or holographic displays in science fiction shows that Hermione had shown him when he'd come to visit.

"Ideally speaking, I wouldn't be trying to do this myself. In a perfect world we'd have her to the dedicated healers to work on her instead. But seeing as we can't do that…and we're running out of time—" He grumbled trailing off. "And I wouldn't be hitting her with potions meant for us, if trying to go without them wouldn't guarantee her dying on us…"

"Why are we running out of time?" She asked drawing nearer, feeling a sterilization ward flow over her as she got within a few meters of the table.  
He cast a few more diagnostic spells, before speaking. "Two reasons, though they're connected. First of all the stasis spell is failing, which is needless to say bad, because second of all, without the stasis spell, as it stands now she'll be dead in under a minute. We have until her magical reserves are depleted, then the stasis spell will collapse. I could cast a new one, but without her core powering it the spell would fail almost immediately."

It was not a common occurrence that Hermione found something that Harry knew that she did not. And, as was her nature, she started asking questions. "Can't you er—just add more power to the spell yourself? Or…well what if we put her in a stasis chest?" She said thinking of the food preservation units in the storage room.

She'd seen depictions in muggle stories of critically injured people staving off death by just about freezing themselves, maybe the stasis chests could do similar?  
Harry was shaking his head however, and barked a short bitter laugh. She knew better to be offended though, Harry was in a rough situation right then. Maybe it'd be better to shut up and let him work now that she thought about it.

He apparently didn't think that was necessary however as he spoke to her regardless, "The spell isn't designed for that. It's a fire and forget type of thing, and the strength I put into it is used up quickly regardless. It only lasts at all because it relies on the magic of the one it's used on to maintain it then breaking when they can't provide the energy to sustain the spell any longer without risking their health."

He continued reading over the diagnostics, humming to himself a moment before nodding and continuing. "As for the stasis chest idea…I get where you are coming from. But let me put it like this, there is a lot more to sustaining life than simply keeping rot at bay."

He started cleaning the wounds with his wand, blood siphoning away to the tip before vanishing. "The stasis chest are designed to do that part just fine…but to keep someone truly alive you need to keep cells functioning and fulfilling their purposes. You also need to maintain their brain activity and life force."

He shook his head sadly. "Were you to try and preserve someone in a stasis chest it might work at keeping them together until you had healed the damage, but they'd come out of it a husk. Effectively brain dead at the very least. It's why those chests don't put you in stasis when you reach inside to grab something."  
Harry thought for a moment before continuing, "They might be similar spells but they have very different functions with highly different methods of executing them. To sum it up, they are not interchangeable."

She winced a bit, feeling ill again at the thought that her solution could have killed someone, Merlin she knew the spell theory Harry was talking about. She took this as more evidence that Harry handled crisis better and looked back to him for guidance once more. He nodded sympathetically at her understanding and considered one last readout. "Hermione can you grab some additional potions from the emergency supplies?"

Hermione nodded easily, she could play nurse to his doctor…she hoped. Though it was rather sad that they were barely a few hours into their expedition and already they were needing to dip into their emergency supplies, evidently the 'Potter Luck' had no trouble following them through the Veil she thought ruefully to herself.

"I'll need more blood replenishing potions, some Skelegrow and a keying kit so we can set the potions so they work better on her, anything that can be used to treat and reduce burns…and a general toxin cleanser and muscle knitter."

The impromptu nurse bobbed her head decisively , and turned to go when she was forced to stop as a vision hit, causing her to gasp. There, on the ground beneath a cavernous archway, a figure knelt, not in supplication, but in meditation. The evening moon light casting bizarre shadows all around as a dark, hooded and cloaked figure drew near. The figure stopped and the kneeling man looks up, a look of sorrow and disappointment on his face. He speaks though she cannot hear what is said. And suddenly the dark figure is roiling with emotion, rage…hate, and pain. But most of all, fear.

He surged forward, an azure blade descended towards the kneeling figure, then a blur and the blue blade clashed against green.

She staggered and the vision intensified. More whirling motion, yellow blades crashing amongst white armoured bodies which crumpled. Flashes of blue and…a titanic shadow. Red light drowned the world.

Hermione shook that off, her vision clearing, looking up to see Harry, skin pale and clammy. "I'll go get the potions," She croaked then hurried towards the storage room.

It took only a minute to gather what she needed, though she'd been briefly amused to note Harry had gone overboard in the supply purchases. She wondered if Saint Mungo's had a stash of potions this large and then recalled why she was getting the potions in the first place and promptly thanked Merlin for Harry's foresight.

She was back in the surgery within a couple minutes and handed Harry the first potion he asked for, a burn reducing potion. He poured the potion into the reservoir for a conjured needle and injected it into her side. It wasn't possible to safely force the wounded woman to drink it in this condition.

Were this some mundane concoction of the ingredients within the potion, main lining such a mixture would have killed the woman. But potions were more than the sum of their parts, the magic within them allowing them to function in a way they would not normally.

"Alright, let's see," Harry muttered as he let the burn reduction potion to work it's magic, literally in fact. "We need something to re-key the Skelegrow, but I'm reluctant to risk turning her over right now to look. It was bad enough moving her as it is…and it's not like she has hair after all…"

She had to ask, considering they were discussing Skelegrow. "Did she break something when she fell?"

He shook his head, vanishing a circle of steel on the underside of the table so he could see the woman's face. "Spit will do nicely I think. Even better than her eyelashes…No, those...whatever they were that they shot her with, broke a couple ribs, and fractured her hip, one also came dangerously close to her spine…" Harry answered eventually, straightening before depositing the spit sample into the waiting potion vial with the keying solution and the Skelegrow. The mixture started to bubble.

"Her ribs are smashed beyond all hope, we'll have to vanish those ones. Thankfully her hip isn't, we'll leave it in place." He decided, and took the no longer bubbling mix and poured it into a new reservoir. Mixing potions prior to imbibing them was a bad idea after all.

It was likely a mercy he was injecting it. Skelegrow was notorious for tasting foul.

Over the next few minutes they applied a couple more burn reduction potions as Harry got to work trying to heal the horrible wounds to the woman's back, hip and leg.

He was right, one of the wounds was disturbingly close to the spine, though it was thankfully undamaged. Even with magic, neurological damage at that scale was hard to heal. Not nigh impossible like it was for mundane medicine, but still, very hard.

While Harry worked he spoke a bit about what he had learned about the woman's physiology. Hermione was mildly interested to hear that the woman's brain matter was distributed into the strange tentacles on her head as well as within her skull, and that she had a second stomach.

She'd likely have been more interested, had she been more aware. Then again if she had indeed been more aware, she likely would have realized she was getting a bit shocky as the last hour or so's events began to take their toll.

Her mind started to wander after Harry finished speaking about little medical points of interest and she started thinking about things she would usually put off till later.

Firstly and most irrelevantly, she noted that aside from the horrific burn wounds all over her body, the woman really was quite attractive…Actually she was a touch jealous. This woman, whomever she was had a near perfect figure, hourglass-like in fact. Whilst clearly being very athletic as well. She also had a wonderful bum and apparently a pair of breasts that would have left Lavender green with envy…

Hermione finally caught herself and blushed shaking her head, grumbling about stupid things to think about whilst massaging her temples in an attempt to drown out a sporadic flash or two before they faded away once more.

She didn't know how to feel about everything right then. Things had gone wrong so very quickly…One minute they were happily exploring a strange new world, wrapped up in the wonder of it all. The next…

They were charging into the middle of a war zone. Which in turn led her to her first conundrum. The woman on the table.

She'd clearly been betrayed by the soldiers following her. But why? They had seemed perfectly content to follow her lead up until then…Had it in some way been justified? She had a hard time believing that, generally even if soldiers found out their superior was a traitor the thing to do was arrest them right? Then again she didn't know how things were handled around here, maybe that was the normal process of justice? She hoped not.

Regardless, this woman could be anyone really, could have done anything…she shouldn't trust her in any way, and yet her instincts screamed at her to not think of the figure on the table in such a way.

She flinched as another brief vision flared. Swarming white armoured bodies, more pain, more betrayal, more fear…More clashing blades, more death.  
Which brought her to her next problem, these visions, judging by what she was catching of them, people like this woman, people who wielded strange blades as she did, were under attack. The soldiers figured prominently, but so did a dark anger filled sword wielder as well…

The brunette was stirred from this rumination as Harry spoke up, a spell working in conjunction with a potion to knit the muscle back together under the burns. "It's pretty bad isn't it?" He noted, then continued at her quizzical look. "The visions I mean…I felt that last one and saw your face, you must have seen it too."

She nodded her agreement, then asked a question. "Yes, was it like this when…well, when Voldemort was in your mind?"

"Worse," was the short one word reply. She nodded understanding at least a little. Eventually he continued. "I got flashes, visions yes, but they were more clear and coherent than these. And I could feel exactly what he felt…" He continued to labour over the woman, injecting another small burn potion. "This figure that keeps showing up in these visions…" He began, drawing her attention again.

"The angry one, leading the soldiers and attacking the others…" He shook his head ruefully, an ironic but contemptuous smirk quirking his lips. "He thinks he knows what hate is, he thinks he understands pain, fear, malice…he's using them to fuel himself, to drive him forward. But he has no concept. He is nothing next to Voldemort…"

She winced at that, the figure in the visions disgusted and disturbed her, if he was a pale shadow next to Voldemort…"They felt similar then?"

He nodded sharply, moving about from wound to wound. "Yes, though Voldemort was much more intense and focused…he made wielding those emotions like some sort of sick art form." Harry noted acerbically, before straightening and checking his watch.

"Damn, she's about to come out of stasis, Hermione I need you to inject the blood replenishers when I say so…" He instructed urgently and she hurried to prepare. "I've got to close these wounds before the stasis ends or we risk her bleeding out."

Hermione bobbed her head a touch numbly as she worked. Harry laboured hard for a good ten minutes longer, all the wounds were on their way back towards being closed, but the stasis finally gave out and blood started to pool rapidly in the wounds before spilling over.

"Okay, first blood replenisher—" Harry instructed and she complied whilst he siphoned off the blood in the wound tracts and continued to work at closing them.  
It took twenty more minutes and two more injections, one of blood replenishing potions, and another of the muscle knitting draught, before the flesh finally closed.

They left puckered scars, and Harry did his best to reduce them before they truly settled. Where before there had been a softball sized circle of puckered flesh, now as he finished they were closer to baseball or even golf ball in size.

As the last spell released he sighed and settled back on his heels. "Okay, good. That's the worst of it I think." He murmured, and Hermione sagged somewhat in relief. "Could you do me a favour? Grab some bruise reduction potion and inject it and the toxin purging mixture. I'm going to go get a pepper-up for myself…"

She worked on that while he left the room, and managed to complete both tasks before he returned to set down in a summoned chair, clearly tired. It wasn't so much the magical expenditure, which must have been considerable after that much work. It was the level of focus he'd levelled at the task. That would have been exhausting all on it's own.

He downed the pepper-up, ignoring the steam from his ears as he perked up somewhat, and she sat down across from him, wringing her hands a bit nervously before settling down a bit herself.

"So what do we do now?" She asked eventually.

He chuckled, rubbing at his eyes. "First we get her cleaned off and settle her in a bed somewhere. I'll place some monitoring charms on her while we're at it…" he explained, then shrugged listlessly.

"She should come around in about seven hours or so…that's about eight and a half hours after she was shot…not bad. She should be out of the woods now. It's a waiting game from here on in…"

* * *

Almost exactly seven hours later…  
Felucia Wilds  
Ravine Camp

Aayla Secura, it had to be said, felt like Bantha poodoo. Which didn't actually mean what it sounded like. She in fact did feel like the fodder that would no doubt be fed to the angry herd of Tatooine Banthas that had run her over, leaving her battered self behind to get chewed up by an enterprising Nexu.

This was all to say, roughly speaking, that she was in pain. A great deal of it in point of fact.

She tried to figure out just why she was in so much pain, but her thoughts were jumbled, her mind slow and sluggish. She of course tried to figure out why that might be, it was not like she'd imbibed a lot of alcohol or been drugged…again.

Had she been?

It took a moment for that thought, that notion, to coalesce in her brain, but when it did it was like nothing else for changing the sad state of affairs up there in her skull. If there was one thing which truly terrified Aayla, it was being drugged.

She'd been the victim of such chemical manipulations once before in her life, in fact she'd been pumped so full of glitterstim and other "spice", in addition to more normal drugs, that she'd basically had her brain pouring out her nose whilst she cackled merrily like a Kowakian Monkey Lizard at everything that happened in the world around her.

What had happened to her while she was in that thoroughly addled state was not something she liked thinking about and would prefer to avoid happening again at all costs. The thought alone of having that happen to her crystallized her mind with sheer unadulterated terror.

Now, were Aayla anyone else she would have likely succumbed to the instinct to writhe and batter her mind against the fogging influence in an effort to escape. But Aayla was not someone else, she was different.

She'd always known that there was a possibility, however remote, that she'd once again face her worst fear. And so she had planned, so that in this moment as that fear became realized, she could put a plan into action instead of struggling in vain.

Aayla began to use, slowly at first then more quickly, a Jedi healing technique used to purge foreign substances from the blood. Of which there were apparently quite a lot judging by the effort she had to put into it. Her efforts were worth it though as she'd be coming around far sooner than any captor would expect given how much they'd pumped into her.

She could feel the negative effects bleeding away, and was then thoroughly surprised when she suddenly felt something snuffling her face.

Now being drugged and then having what was likely an animal of some kind sniffing your face was not a good situation to find yourself in, and Aayla's mind was soon convinced that someone had dosed her then thought to throw her in with some wild beasts to be devoured.

This prompted her eyes to fly wide and her to flail somewhat to get away from whatever it was. She was again surprised when she saw that the animal she had batted at feebly wasn't actually some huge, sentient devouring monstrosity. Instead being some relatively small furry quadruped, with black and white fur, mismatched eyes, and an elongated snout which peered at her with two pink nostrils. It was needless to say highly disconcerting to feel like an animal was actually looking at you with it's nose rather than it's eyes, but this one seemed to manage it just fine.

After a moment it settled back on it's haunches and peered at her with eyes which were blue and brown by turns. She blinked at it, it blinked at her. Then it licked her face with a long wet slimy tongue.

Aayla shrieked in a most undignified fashion as she writhed trying to get away from the slobber monster. It then peered at her in apparent amusement while she struggled to de-slime herself and made a small chuffing sound before trotting off.

As she finally got the spittle off her face she shook her head chastising herself for panicking, particularly so noisily, and at last got around to taking in her surroundings.

First of all, as she took in her situation she noted she was not in any way shackled or bound, which was a promising start, and she was apparently being kept in a tent. Which could hardly be considered a secure prison…laying back in what appeared to be a very comfortable bed.

She then noted as the drugs' effects continued to fade, that it was not in fact only those with ill intents who administered chemical compounds which would make her feel sluggish. A healer or doctor would as well.

Which begged the question, why did she need a healer?

She honestly tried, she really did, but still struggled, and as she sat up she looked down at herself in confusion, only to come up short.

Whatever she had expected to find herself to be wearing upon waking up in a healers care, or even in a sadistic tormentors clutches, it was not this…  
It wasn't her normal gear, though that wasn't so surprising, but it wasn't a hospital gown, a slave outfit, nude or even her usual nightwear…It was a clearly male shirt and pair of somewhat baggy underpants…

Before she could reflect on that the tent flap opened and she tensed looking around hurriedly for her lightsabers just in case, finding the space around her sadly lacking in that regard as a person pushed into the room. That was less promising all told. Never part a Jedi from their weapons.

The female human who had just entered the room was perhaps a touch shorter than her, with somewhat curly brown hair tied back in a rough ponytail at the back of her head. She was pretty enough she supposed, though that was of little concern at the moment as those brown eyes considered her.

The woman was oddly dressed, wearing a shirt of a cut she was unused to and pants of an unfamiliar material with many pockets on it.

As she'd been trained when finding herself in the company of an unknown and possibly hostile individual, she reached out with her empathic abilities to try and gauge the woman's intent. But instead she felt nothing which was…odd.

"Hɛˈləʊ, ɪts gʊd tuː siː juː ɑːr əˈweɪk...stɪl bluː aɪ si!" ***** The woman chattered cheerfully, though Aayla couldn't understand a word of the woman's strange language. It was by turns hard and rough, or smooth and flowing, with a strange collection of consonant sounds mixed with sharper vowel sounds. Which picked up and slowed down at unexpected points.

She reached out to gauge the woman in the Force, her second line of defence in cases like these and blinked in surprise. This woman, whoever she was, was like a bright star in the Force, easily her equal, and she had to admit it wasn't bad for one who was apparently a few years her junior.

It was odd she still couldn't feel her intent…

The woman blinked a bit, then frowned slightly, apparently able to sense her touch in the Force. She spoke again, sounding concerned. "əˈgɛn wɪð ðə ˈsɛnsɪŋ spɛlz...ænd ˈwɒndləs. ˈkjʊərɪəs. juː ɑː ʤʌst fʊl ɒv səˈpraɪzɪz bluː ˈwʊmən" ****  
**  
Aayla was conflicted, on the one hand this all had some of the earmarks of recorded Sith interrogation techniques. In such cases you were often held in an illusionary world and were unable to sense your interrogators intent…but then again you also couldn't sense their ability in the Force either. This woman seemed a contradiction.

She blinked uncomprehendingly before extending her reach in the Force to try and tear aside the Illusion only to find nothing which to grab hold of.

The woman sighed, rolling her eyes and muttering something she didn't catch, before pulling a straight stick from a strange leather bracer at her wrist. She gestured pointedly with it before directing it towards the tent's roof. She muttered something, and Aayla felt a small surge in the Force.

However it was accompanied by something far grander, the stick's tip burned with visible flaring Force energy and Aayla couldn't help but jerk back in surprise.  
The woman lowered the stick then cocked her head at her. "There, that's better, can you understand me now Blue Woman?"

Aayla blinked dumbly at her, as much at the moniker as at the sudden ability to understand the woman despite her lips not matching her words. ' _Is this woman using the Force to translate for her?_ ' She wondered skeptically. She'd never heard of such a thing!

Finally the question got through to her and she nodded slowly. "Er—yes…yes I can." She agreed, her mind still wrapping itself around that same concept she had to admit.

The woman frowned again then muttered and the stick flared a second time. "Sorry I forgot that the first time, I didn't do the second half of the translation spell, silly really. Can you repeat yourself?" She asked in the same kindly voice.

Spell? She wondered, then turned her mind to the question and nodded more firmly this time. "Uh—I said yes, I can understand you."

The young woman brightened and smiled. "Excellent, sorry. I really should have thought of that right off. Would you like something to drink?"

Aayla almost said no, it was after all a bad idea to accept anything from a potential interrogator…But she took a bit too long getting to that point. The woman must have taken her silence as tacit acceptance.

She shifted that stick again twirling it in a motion above her other hand and something miraculous happened as the Force once again flared briefly. A glass, formed from the air itself and the woman grasped it firmly, she could even see the flesh of her hand move to accommodate the apparently physical object.

This was followed by a second gesture and the cup was filled with water which jetted from the stick's end.

The woman looked up at her missing the momentary widening of her eyes and made to hand the cup over to her.

Aayla reached out a bit numbly, her shock overtaking her caution in this regard, and was surprised to find it was really there…

Her fingers brushed the woman's hand as it withdrew and she briefly felt a rush of emotions. Confusion, vague suspicion and worry, concern for her well-being tempered by caution.

Now she was even more confused. Were this indeed an interrogation she would not have been able to sense those emotions, regardless of touch…After all in such cases touch was merely an illusion.

The woman settled back, still smiling, "Well, you can drink that when you feel up to it." She said tucking the strange stick back in the bracer and pacing to the door.

"I'll go get Harry, he'll want to check how you're doing. I'll be right back." She promised before walking out of the tent. No efforts to restrain her, or even to chastise her to remain in place.

The woman was barely out the door before Aalya had rolled off the bed and pushed herself to her feet. Aayla cast her senses further afield and…sighed as she became even more confused.

The first thing she noticed was an animal perched on the dresser nearby. It was not a pretty sight, it looked like a shaggy furred Lothal Cat, if said animal had short ears, had been hit in the face repeatedly with a frying pan and then shocked with Force lightning for a while.

And yet the ugly little creature had the audacity to glare at her as if her existence offended it, and she was the lower life-form, instead of it being the other way around.

The second thing she noted was just plain weird, she could sense little beyond the tent, which was apparently larger than she'd thought, a sort of strange dampening fog drifting about it gently hemming her senses in.

However, she could sense her lightsabers in the other room and…

The main tent flap opened and a being stepped in. She was shocked by what she sensed. Not by the apparent lack of emotions which he shared with the woman, but the raw power this being was giving off, a little further probing and she found that he was human, same as the woman.

However, he was the far more powerful of the two, like a sun's light drowning out that of a more distant star. It was like Skywalker had just walked into the room, and yet he was utterly foreign to her.

He wandered the room beyond a bit, and she could hear a low murmur of conversation she couldn't quite make out and a brief flare in the Force from the woman, before he wandered over to the place where her weapons lay and the lights of the crystalline cores within them were swallowed up by his own.

She cursed internally, he'd taken possession of them, that would likely make things trickier for her. His light which dimmed oddly as he approached and as she focused on it, before the tent flap opened allowing the two humans to enter.

This young man was about her height, pale skinned like the woman, but with short messy dark hair, and green eyes. He was dressed similarly to the woman, though that was not what stuck out to her. There on his forehead was a scar, stretching from just above the edge of his hairline down to about halfway down his forehead. A wide crackling tree branch pattern that reminded her of lightning. It had paled and faded somewhat with age but was still clearly discernible.

He approached her, his expression serious before he blinked somewhat in apparent surprise and turned to look skeptically at the woman next to him. "You dressed her in my underwear?"

The woman huffed, but smiled patiently. "She's taller and more athletic than me, my things would not fit her well…And besides you know what expanding my things would do to them!" She protested.

The male nodded, seeming to concede the point before turning his gaze back to the Rutian Twi'lek. He flicked a hand idly towards a chair which had been drawn up near the wall and it slid towards him gently across the floor.

He grasped it and shifted it behind himself before indicating the bed beside her. "Why don't you have a seat so we can talk?" He asked in a gentle baritone, "Clearly I didn't do too bad a job putting you back together if you're already on your feet." He noted sounding amused.

She wondered just how poorly off she'd been if he phrased it as putting her back together…

The woman snorted in dry amusement. "Unless of course she's like you, and just has a habit of trying to escape the infirmary the moment she wakes…."

The male chuckled, and Aayla was surprised at their ease. She wasn't sure she could trust them not to mean her ill just yet, but it was hard to feign such things believably to one who'd been trained in deception.

He turned back to consider her, and sighed slightly at seeing her still standing. "I guess we'd better start with who you are then eh? Can I get your name?"  
She nodded cautiously, it was a risk, but she felt it worth it to venture that much. "My name is Aayla Secura, I am a Jedi Knight of the Republic…"

He cocked his head at her curiously, and she was surprised when she saw no recognition for any of what she'd said. Not Republic, not even Jedi. He nodded slowly however, "It is nice to meet you Aayla Secura." He offered tentatively. "The Knight part was clear enough, after all you carry these things…" He pointed out patting his hip under the edge of his long coat. Apparently he was referring to her lightsabers.

"Jedi, though…" He said testing the unfamiliar word. "Does that refer to your species then?" He asked kindly.

Now it was her turn to cock her head at him. He didn't know what Jedi were, he didn't even know of the Republic. Not entirely unheard of in the Outer Rim or Wild Space though it was uncommon. But it was virtually unknown for someone not to know of Twi'leks, they were not an uncommon species after all. She ventured a little more. "No, I am a Twi'lek of Ryloth…you have never seen someone like me before?"

He shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, but no, we're not exactly from around here. Haven't gotten a chance to find out who we'll be seeing out here—" He paused then shrugged. "I suppose it's my turn to do the introductions. My name is Harry Potter, and I am what's known to my people as an Auror. An enforcer of laws if you will. This,—" He said gesturing to the woman. "Is my close friend Hermione Granger, who is a researcher."

The woman bobbed her head happily. "Hello Knight Aayla Secura."

Aayla had to fight the urge to frown at the title. It wasn't the fault of these two, those among the Order who referred to her that way meant it in only a handful of ways, most of them uncomplimentary. Some were being formal because they did not approve of her and her reputation, some Masters used the term with a sneering superiority that indicated they believed themselves better than a mere Knight. Others still, used it as an insult, indicating they were well aware of just why she'd been denied advancement to Master herself.

Instead of allowing her distaste for the term to show, she decided on a different tact, offering a small test instead, to see how they reacted to an act of goodwill. "Just Aayla will be fine…"

They nodded in understanding, and while she felt pleased they had not reacted poorly to the offer of a bit more familiarity, she was still uncertain of them, and it showed. Harry, if she recalled his name correctly, sighed. He considered her a moment before pulling aside the edge of his coat and pulling the lightsabers from where they were secured there.

Hermione frowned. "Harry, I'm not sure that's a good idea, we know next to nothing about her…" She protested, ironically mirroring her sentiments of them.  
"Think about it Hermione, we'd be plenty nervous in her position. Strange place, strange clothing, strange people, one of which is holding our weapons?" Hermione considered him a time after than before sighing in aggravation and nodding her reluctant acceptance.

He held out the hilts to Aayla, notably holding them so the emitters were safely pointed towards the ceiling as he did so. She tentatively reached out to take them and again her hands touched one of these strangers, allowing in a flood of emotions before they drew away.

It was brief, but powerful, Harry was sad. But also tired and there was a worried tenderness, and a sense of curious intellect just as there had been with Hermione, but also a sense of waning hope and despair.

It was a strange combination. Not at all the roiling cauldron of rage and hate she'd expect if they were Sith. She took the lightsabers firmly in her hands and deciding to extend some more good will she nodded her thanks before sitting tentatively on the edge of the bed. The tension in the room notably lessened.  
Harry looked to his friend and she nodded before leaving to return a few moments later with another chair. They both sat down opposite her.

The young man nodded at her smiling ruefully, "Thank you, it would have been awkward to continue this conversation with all of us standing like that. Can you tell me how you are feeling?"

She considered that, in circumstances like this with healers at the Temple she would normally have blown off her discomfort assuring them she was well and that she'd fully recover soon enough. But she decided nothing would be gained by being anything less than totally honest with these two in this case. "I am not feeling particularly well, I am very sore and have a severe headache and I am still feeling the effects of whatever you gave me…" She noted, probing a bit with that last one.

He nodded soberly, "Not surprising really, those shots you took nearly killed you, as for the potions, sorry…" He noted smiling wryly. "That's a general hazard with them, I don't like taking them either…but they should fade in a few hours…" He offered.

She was well and truly curious now, first spells, and now potions…"You refer to the Force in such strange ways, do you consider it magic?" She asked plainly.  
This clearly piqued the interest of the two humans. "I take it then that you do not?" Harry asked, seeming to consider it for a moment then shrugging. "Yes, though perhaps we can discuss that more later?"

She nodded accepting that. She knew some Force users from primitive or undeveloped worlds referred to the Force as magic…but usually they were not so adept in it's use…

They had done things she'd never heard of before, translating using the Force as a medium, conjuring matter and water from nothing…

And potions…well, she'd heard of that after a fashion, the Witches of Dathomir were known to make strange Force imbued substances, usually for horrible purposes. And the Sith were known to have dabbled in Alchemy, usually to make some horrible monster or other that would then rampage across whatever planet they deposited it on eating everything in sight…

But again these two didn't feel like Sith to her, and she wondered how they'd react to her having trumped one of their advantages. "I purged the remainder of those…potions, I should be fine in a few minutes."

Their eyes certainly did widen, and Harry's eyebrow quirked while Hermione's mouth popped open in surprise, but they were not further alarmed by her revelation. That actually went a long way towards comforting her.

"Huh—not sure how you managed that, but it's a neat trick. Not sure it was wise though…" Harry muttered worriedly, "The potions were undoing the damage from when you were attacked…"

Which brought her back to the matter at hand. Which was what precisely she was doing here. She probed for information. "I do not remember what happened…I was leading my soldiers into battle against the Separatists…" Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall. "Then I went searching for something that was bothering me and—nothing, I woke up here. What happened, were we ambushed?"

Harry frowned deeply, as did Hermione, who muttered turning away. Harry nodded eventually. "Yes…after a fashion I suppose."

Aayla didn't like his reticence and frowned a bit at that. He saw her suspicion however and sighed before speaking. "Let me try to explain a bit," He offered,  
"Me and my friend here were exploring nearby when we sensed your presence. That was an impressive sensory spell by the way, we felt it a good twenty five or so klicks away…" Harry said, looking impressed as he went off on his tangent.

She wasn't entirely certain what a 'klick' was but assumed from the context it was a unit of measurement. She also surmised judging by what he was saying that he'd felt her extend her senses during meditation earlier that day. If what he said was true, her feeling hounded and followed all through that trip may have been her own fault.

Harry nodded, seeing she seemed to understand, "Anyways…we came to investigate and accidentally found ourselves in the middle of your battle with those robots. We hid ourselves so as to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, but if I were to guess I would say that you sensed us anyways and that's why you came looking for us…"

Which basically confirmed it. She'd been sensing these two when she'd decided to make her sojourn into the bush. She had to give them credit, they freely admitted to following her and accidentally causing her concern. It greatly improved her opinion of these two. That she believed them honest didn't hurt either.  
"You led a band of those soldiers out towards us…and then something happened." Harry began, only to be interrupted by Hermione.

"We tried to intervene, really we did, but—"

Harry grimaced, nodding. "But your soldiers opened fire on you. We don't know why."

Aayla shook her head firmly in denial and confusion. "No, they would never do that!" She protested, certain they had misunderstood, as much as she wished they were lying in this case her experience was telling her they were not. "You must be mistaken…"

Harry raised a hand to stop her and she cut herself off. "Look, I understand, you don't trust us, and you sure seemed to trust the others. We don't know the context for what happened, but I swear to you, those men in the white armour…They pointed their weapons at you, definitely at YOU, and fired, you were hit multiple times before we got a shield up between you and they."

Hermione took over. "They then shot at the shield until we drove them back and got you out of there."

She shook her head, not so much disbelieving _them_ , as disbelieving what they described. Bly, her clones, friends, would never do that to her…

She needed to know, needed to be sure. She extended her senses, Harry and Hermione shifted looking at each other significantly as she sunk into a meditation.  
She met the strange fog around the tent and pushed harshly past it, finding a cave beyond, a strange barrier in the Force over its entrance and the…

Visions, suddenly she was drowning them, choking on them, she could sense it immediately, the pain, the fear, the sense of utter betrayal ringing through the Force. She could see Jedi fighting for their lives as swarms of clone troopers closed in. A ringing thought, not one voice but many, screaming 'It is not possible!'  
Her mind instinctively retreated from the emotional tidal wave, and she fell back within the protective fog of the tent, though she could still feel the echoes now that she's been opened to them.

She was gasping and shivering as she returned to herself and she clutched her head, her lightsabers clattering onto the floor at her feet. "By the Force! The—they're killing them! They're murdering us!" She shook her head in denial as tears flowed from her eyes.

"No, what could—why! Why would they do this?" She demanded, as if expecting the Force itself to address this heinous treachery.

She sensed motion and saw that Harry had approached her in her distraction, he put a steadying hand on her shoulder which she did not resist. Feeling a surge of honest concern for her as she straightened, before the hand withdrew. "Hey, easy there Aayla, I assume from your reaction you just caught one of those visions that seem to be everywhere right now?"

He nodded sympathetically, looking weary, "Startled us too, just take it easy for a moment, maybe you can tell us why you think this would happen?"

She shook her head though, she just couldn't make sense of it. She tried to follow the calming instruction in his voice and she began to put the pieces into place. There was only one way the Clones would collectively turn on her and the Jedi she thought with growing horror. They would have needed to be ordered to do so by the highest level of government. And for them to actually have followed that order, for even Bly and the others to turn on her and obey...

More pieces began to fit together, rumours, hard truths and secrets that had worked their way to every ear in the Jedi Order. It began to come together in her head. She could feel it now, not just in her bones or in the instincts in her gut, but in the echoes of the Force which still reached her. The malevolence behind it, the premeditation and hungering anticipation. The dark joy of a plot long laid finally coming to fruition.

Only one being could have planned this, have arranged this and gone undetected under their very noses the whole time. Only one person could have benefited so. Slowly she began to speak. "We have been betrayed." She began in a low tight tone of voice before barking a bitter laugh that choked off almost as soon as it began to leave her lips. "Force, what fools we were…"

At their questioning looks, she elaborated, her ill controlled disgust for the one who had caused this seeping through… "It was the Chancellor, he must have planned this from the beginning."

She felt a swell of grief, sorrow and regret. The tears were dripping off her chin down onto her hands which lay clenched in her lap. How many times had she, or other Jedi been in his very presence, so close to stopping it all, and never sensed what he was? So close to bringing this war to an end? To saving themselves?  
She cursed bitterly in Ryl, which raised curious looks from the humans, prompting Harry to look to Hermione. She just shrugged, looking a bit vague as she pondered something. "Must have been a different language, the spell only affects one at a time."

Aayla shook her head, as another wave of visions echoed into her mind and she sobbed. "They're killing us all…if only we'd known…if only we'd been smarter!" The two humans exchanged a significant look before sighing. She heard them move off to a corner and begin softly murmuring amongst themselves but didn't really register it.

Harry moved back a bit later, "Look I'm sorry, truly I am, I can't imagine what you are feeling right now…I didn't even entirely understand what you were saying. But I'm sorry that you and…well I assume these other Jedi have been betrayed by someone you trusted." He said gently.

Aayla sighed, doing her best to collect herself. It was hard though, in the face of it all washing over her again and again… She tried to explain. "We Jedi have been the protectors of the Republic for some twenty thousand years. We've stood as it's guardians, as well as its diplomats and arbitrators of justice… In recent years however our numbers have waned, as we died in this blasted war…" She cursed.

"We suspected from the beginning that this war was orchestrated by our enemy. But we could never pin them down." She admitted bitterly, the irony of why that was, almost physically choking her. "It would seem that was because they were hiding among our closest allies all along. The Supreme Chancellor…"  
She bit out unhappily. "The leader of the Republic which we served, he's the only one who could have ordered this and have expected it to be followed."  
She sighed in defeat. "And now here we are…being systematically hunted and exterminated by those who had once been our friends and allies. If only we had—if I had been…" She broke down again.

She was too absorbed in trying to drown out the pain, by trying to draw it in and release it into the Force, but it wasn't working, and so she missed when Hermione cleared her throat and pointedly jerked her head at the door while looking at Harry.

Harry nodded, and patted Aayla tentatively on the shoulder. "Look, we'll give you a few minutes alone. I'm inclined to believe you based on what we've seen. We'll come back in a few minutes and see what we can do to help you."

She nodded numbly, barely understanding him anymore. She heard them step away and soon she was alone in the room. Even that ugly little creature had followed them though she noted the slobber monster had apparently decided to remain, curling up near her feet.

As their murmuring voices faded into the background she couldn't help but wonder how many of her friends now lay dead...And how long until she joined them?

* * *

Felucia Wilds  
Ravine Camp

Harry returned a few minutes later, looking worried. Not that Aayla was in any position to notice really. She was too full of self recrimination and grief. _Some Jedi I am._ She thought miserably. _The Order is being destroyed as I sit here, and I can't get my own damned emotions under control so I can try and do something about it._ She raged at herself.

 _Not that I'd know where to even begin…_ She pointed out morosely to herself. _Definitely not cut out to be a Master then eh Aayla?_ She mocked, sinking further into her self-recriminations.

 _Can't control your emotions, can't plan your way out of a flimsy bag. What good are you?_

Harry sat down in front of her and she looked up, her tear streaked face questioning at his presence. "So, I'd ask how you are doing, but I think I can guess…" He noted tiredly.

"But I still have to ask a couple questions." he offered tentatively

She nodded numbly, too tired to even beg off to be alone. He continued then, "What do you see yourself doing now…how could I go about helping you?" He asked gently.

Aayla shook her head, she'd already tried to figure that out, she couldn't see any way forward, "I need to go into hiding—" She began, "See if I can find other survivors..It won't be easy though. It's not like I can hide myself like the Sith, or—"

She cut herself off as a thought occurred to her. "Or like you do…"

She looked up at him sharply, hoping for even a small glimmer of a chance, something, anything she could use to improve their odds. "Can you teach me how to do that? If I know how, perhaps me and any Jedi I find might be able to survive!"

Harry looked pensive and nodded slowly. "Possibly, but let me ask you another question first." He raised a hand to stall her a moment. "It'll seem a silly one, maybe even cruel, but I need to ask it."

She couldn't begin to guess what he would ask, and decided not to try, simply nodding her consent. She could take it, whatever it was, even if it hurt. He spoke then, "What would you be willing to do, to risk, if you could make a difference in what has just happened?"

Aayla considered that, not sure where this question was coming from, or why it was being asked right at that time, but answered honestly. "I'd do almost anything. I'd risk everything, even my life."

He nodded soberly, as if he'd expected no different. "Okay, let me ask something a touch different. Please try not to chop me with your laser sword when I ask it?" He suggested, his tone light, an attempt to improve her mood.

It helped a bit, she couldn't help but be mildly amused at his term for lightsabers. He explained, "I have a method available to me, a very dangerous method, that could very well see you annihilated. But it would allow us—you. To make at least a small difference in what has happened."

She was curious now, a chance to make a difference is what a Jedi lived for after all. "What is this method, and why would I want to hit you with my lightsaber for suggesting it?" She asked uncertainly. She'd risked death before, so many times it wasn't worth fretting about anymore….

He pulled a small object from his pocket and held it up for her to see. A small golden device, one ring which could clearly spin within the other if the latch were released, and at it's centre? A tiny cracked hourglass set into a circular frame cut with stars…It positively glowed in the Force.

He smiled dryly at her expression of curious wonder, "I gather from your look you've never seen something like this before…" he guessed and she nodded agreement. The crystals of lightsabers and holocrons carried the Force within them, allowing them to glow like this. But no, she had never seen anything quite like it.

"This is what my people refer to as a time turner. A magical device with a great deal of power, and danger…" He admitted. "This one was brought along on our little mission by Hermione, just in case of emergencies. She believes this counts as one…and I tend to agree."

At her interested expression he elaborated. "Quite simply, it allows up to a pair of people to travel back through time. In the case of an undamaged one a maximum of twenty four hours…" He said, and her eyes widened. "Now, were things normal that'd probably be more than enough for our situation yes? But this one is damaged, and so there is an even greater risk in it's use…"

She could hardly breathe, what he suggested, claimed that little bauble could do. It was impossible, he had to be mocking her!  
 _Unless he wasn't?_

She tried to gauge his sincerity, and he certainly looked it to her eyes. "It's not something we suggest lightly." Harry warned. "There are rules with the use of time travel. If we see ourselves while back in time, and that other version of us sees us as well…we'd create a paradox. The universe would erase us from all time, forward and back…" He cautioned.

She gasped slightly at the thought of having never existed in the first place. He held up a finger, "The next rule is this. Though the consequences are somewhat less dire." he looked to her soberly. "You cannot change things you already know to have happened. So we cannot prevent your soldiers from turning on you." He explained. "It will happen one way or the other, no matter what you do."

Her mind protested at the thought of not being able to stop this betrayal entirely. But then, understanding came. She didn't know everything that had happened out there…She could save a few, maybe even all of those she hadn't seen!

Harry saw her understanding blossom. "This time turner, with the work Hermione's just done to reinforce it…is good for perhaps one last jump. However it won't take us back all that far, ten to eleven hours I'd say or thereabouts. If we leave soon, we might, MIGHT, manage to save a few of your friends." he admonished, a cautionary tone in his voice.

He looked at her seriously, his green eyes staring into her hazel ones, "So, I ask you again Aayla Secura…Jedi Knight of the Republic…What are you willing to risk?" He asked holding the device out towards her.

She gazed at him, seeing his sincerity and his utter belief in her and she reached out to grasp it and his hand. Even before she felt his emotions, her decision had been made. She had to try. To dismiss this out of hand, or to refuse the risk of annihilation or whatever else because of fear... It would be unconscionable.  
She was a Jedi, a Guardian of the Republic…

She grinned hopefully at him. "I'm going to need a change of clothes if we're to do this."

He smirked, letting go of her hand before bending down to pick up her lightsabers pressing them back into her hands, "I think that can be arranged."

* * *

 **Translations:**

 ***** Hello, it's good to see you are awake! Still blue I see.  
 ****** Again with the sensing spells...and wandless. Curious. You are just full of surprises blue woman.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Just a quick heads up. The next chapter will be coming out TWO weeks from now, not just one. I need a week off to handle some things. Then service should return to normal. Otherwise, enjoy this week's chapter.

* * *

Felucia Wilds

Ravine Camp

Aayla was confused, it wasn't a feeling she was particularly used to. For the most part the universe, even that part of it encompassed by the strange and wondrous power that was the Force, made sense, it had rules. Now she stood there marvelling at the newly repaired shirt and pants that she'd donned. The shirt had been an tattered ruin, and the pants were not much better after being shot _repeatedly_ …

Now after Hermione had spent a few minutes labouring over them, they appeared good as new. _Appeared_ , apparently being the operative word in this case. "The repair spell took material from the rest of the clothing to fill the gap, it's going to be more prone to ripping and tearing going forward, you'll want to buy some replacements when you get the chance." Hermione had warned Aayla, using a spare wash cloth as a visual example of the issue in question.

Still, the effect was remarkable. The clothing, which had been well beyond hope now covered her just as well as it always had. It was nevertheless a good thing she planned to grab some replacements if they had the chance back at base. In fact, if things went according to plan, those might not be the only things they grabbed.

After warning the Jedi of course. Her clothing - and anything else she might procure from the base - were a very distant second to that objective.

Aayla clipped her lightsabers to her belt as she prepared to leave the small room where she'd thus far spent her entire time.

Finally she pushed back the flap and stepped out into the main living space. The entire place was highly inconsistent with what she _understood_ a basic tent to actually be. Just as with the bedroom, this "tent" bore the signs of being a more permanent construction, a firm and well constructed wood floor for the most part, with tile from the looks of things within a kitchen unit…full sized and comfortable permanent furnishings. And yet all of it was enclosed under the canopy of a large tent constructed of some unknown weatherproofed fabric of reasonable quality.

Aayla drew herself out of her observations and redirected her attention to searching for her hosts. Finding them over by the large flap door at the front of the tent she headed in their direction. As she drew closer she heard a muffled argument though it was too soft for the words to carry. Cocking her head to the side and torn between eavesdropping and remaining polite, she found her decision made for her in short order. The same beast which had investigated her upon her return to wakefulness made it's presence known. The animal nudged her gently in the side with its nose before looking up at her soulfully.

While not exactly certain what the creature wanted, she did what seemed to come naturally and reached down to tentatively scratch its head behind its ears. Just as she would have done for T'da back in the day…It was a strange irony that the Felucian Cat Bunny which had been her beloved pet all those years ago, had been buried here on Felucia. She couldn't help but wonder just how close _she'd_ come to being buried here as well.

As she continued her delicate, but apparently appreciated ministrations to the beast's scalp, she saw Hermione shake her head and turn away with her arms crossed over her chest. Harry sighed and gently squeezed her shoulder before walking back into the tent proper and busying himself in getting ready for their strange mission. Aayla was still getting used to the notion that she was about to attempt time travel…it was _far_ easier to just think of it as 'the mission'.

While Harry was pulling on an overcoat of a strange cut over his plain shirt and pants, she also noticed that unlike Hermione, he had two bracers strapped to his forearms, and not just one.

She gave a start at the slight chuffing noise produced by the cheerful creature at her hip, which then proceeded to bump into her in a way that was clearly meant to encourage her to get moving again.

She took the hint and started pacing towards the pair of odd humans as Hermione re-entered the tent and walked over to Harry blinking rapidly as she murmured to him while they prepared.

"You take care of yourself Harry Potter, you hear me?" Hermione asked, looking fretful, tugging a bit at Harry's collar to make it lay correctly. "I won't be there to watch your back this time…"

He smiled gently down at his friend, "We'll be okay 'Mione, we'll try and be back as soon as we can, just don't panic if we're not coming back a few moments after we left would you?" He requested though it didn't seem to do much to reassure her at all. "Keep in mind we're heading back nearly twelve or so hours and our mission might take a little longer depending on how things go…This isn't the first time I've done something like this Hermione."

Hermione glared at him exasperatedly for a moment before replying, "Yes and generally they end rather poorly as I recall... This isn't something you can just blast through with a well placed curse, Harry! I didn't steal that Time Turner so you could get yourself killed five minutes into the trip!"

"You stole it? So much for them letting you 'borrow' it..." Harry said an amused expression on his lips..

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I stole it! We were heading through the Veil and it was just sitting there gathering dust since there's no more sand to refill it with and no one wanted to waste the last few grains." She scowled before taking a deep breath and then cocked her head affecting a small smile. "Look I don't want to fight. I - Look, just promise me you will be careful okay? That's not a ragtag band of terrorist psychos like it was with Voldemort. It's an entire army." She admonished. "An army with very advanced and powerful weaponry that you know nothing about."

Harry nodded dutifully, "I hear you and we'll do our best to remain undetected. You know we have to do this"

Hermione was once again nodding, though there was an uncertain note in it this time, she cast an unreadable look in Aayla's direction before leaning forward and pecking her friend on the cheek.

Blushing a little at her friend's surprised look, she explained, . "For luck. I believe it's a tradition?" She noted smiling wryly.

He returned her smile with a crooked one of his own. "Thanks 'Mione"

Aayla felt a stirring of amusement, _So it's like that is it?_

She refocused on the task at hand. She was a bit jittery, a mild surprise under the circumstances, it had been some time since she'd been this nervous going into a mission. But the ramifications of it, should it all work out…

Harry straightened as he turned his attention to Aayla, "All ready to go?" He asked, and she nodded in confirmation. He pushed open the flap and gestured her through.

She waited patiently outside in the cave, while Harry and Hermione murmured one last goodbye as she took in their surroundings: the camp's position, and the disturbingly small exterior of the tent. She had no idea what to make of that last bit, and resolved to ask about it at a later time. Perhaps it was some illusionary defence?

"This way," Harry indicated strolling past her and outside, she moved to follow, momentarily stymied by the shiver which washed over her as she passed through whatever protections these two had managed to layer within the Force over the mouth of the Cave.

It was enough to make her look back questioningly, only to find an apparently empty cave behind her. No tent in sight. She looked uncertainly at an amused Harry Potter, "More of your magic?" She asked archly, managing not to sound too skeptical.

The Jedi tended to be a bit condescending towards those cultures which viewed the Force as 'Magic'. However...she had to concede that the things these two managed with the Force could indeed only be described as Magical.

He nodded, cocking his head at her curiously. "Wards, they're a type of protective enchantment Hermione put together for us. They'll keep back enemies and protect those inside. Within reason of course."

She couldn't even pretend to understand just how they managed it, but she got the general gist of what had been done. "So what now?" She asked, hoping that the miracle of time travel was indeed another wonder these two could manage.

Harry bobbed his head accepting that it was indeed time to get down to business. "First we need to go to the site where you were shot, it should be clear by now, but we'll be concealing ourselves anyways." He shrugged easily. "From there we'll follow the path back to your base I think, I assume that is where you want to go? We'll jump back in time once there."

Aayla nodded, then frowned as she had a thought. "I thought you said the place where I was wounded was close to twenty five….'klicks?' away, how long will it take to get there, seeing as we are short on time?"

To her surprise he smiled. "It won't take long at all, after all we managed to get you back here for healing before you could die right?"

She conceded that was true, though she was unclear on that. Generally speaking, someone who was shot with a blaster died fairly quickly…and judging by the wounds she could feel on herself she should be very, very dead. Harry took her general attitude as acceptance. "Now, I'm going to get us back there quickly but two things first…"

He drew the stick - which she was certain had a more appropriate term to describe it - and soon she felt the Force washing over her. He then directed the stick at himself and he briefly flared blue before fading back to normal. "What was that?" She asked a touch worried.

"A linked disillusionment charm, mixed with a notice-me-not charm. We can see each other because of the link, but are invisible to anyone else for the time being. I'll lower it later..." He explained patiently.

It was an amazing thought, assuming it worked. "And the second?" She prompted.

"Second, I feel I should warn you, the method of travel we'll be using is somewhat unpleasant for beginners, and we'll have to do this a couple times I imagine. Are you up for it?" He asked, drawing nearer to her.

She nodded but she couldn't help but wonder just what it was she was getting ready for. Harry offered his hand to her and she took it, he turned sharply as though to pull her along after him and the world evaporated before her eyes.

* * *

Felucia Wilds

In transit

Apparition, as she'd later learn it was called, was, it had to be said, _highly unpleasant_. To her it felt like she was all but being suffocated in the Force at the same time as being drawn through a very small tube at great velocity and then beat out like a dirty rug before coming back to reality with a dull snap.

She gasped as the pressure on her abated and fell to her knees coughing, struggling to take a few steadying breaths. "That!" She croaked, "Was the worst thing... I have felt in a very VERY long time." Which was saying something since she was still sore from having been shot repeatedly.

A hand pulled her gently to her feet and she was once again staring into Harry's green eyes. He looked very apologetic. "I know, and I'm sorry, I did try to warn you, but it's always bad for those just starting out. Your magic…or Force I guess, if I remember the term you used correctly, fights the transition making it worse." He eyed her speculatively as she collected herself. "Now, we have to go a couple more times, do you think you can handle that?"

She nodded weakly, a little ill at the thought, looking around at her new surroundings. They'd teleported…of all the things in the galaxy…They had _teleported_...She tried to wrap her head around that.

She recognized the battlefield now, it was where she'd been before ending up in Harry's and Hermione's company sure enough. It was strangely peaceful now. No army in sight, no traitorous clones, no rampaging droids…Just the shattered remnants of the forest. How much of this destruction had been caused by her men in their failed attempt to kill her?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Harry's speculative voice. "Now, as your army was advancing from this direction, I assume your base is that way?" He asked pointing to the long swath of cleared jungle stretching off to the south. She nodded agreeing and he cast his eyes about eventually pointing to something else in the distance. "Okay, I see a good spot to get a vantage point, we have to jump again, are you ready for that?"

She grimaced at the thought of it, but she was more than willing to endure it for what she had to accomplish. He held out his hand again at her agreement and she grasped it before once again disappearing.

This time she managed to keep her feet upon 're-entry' as she now thought of it, and was quite surprised to find herself standing atop a large fungal tree not far from the cleared road through the forest looking south.

She could barely see the landed Cruisers in the distance, where they sat alongside the main Republic forward operating base. Harry whistled in appreciation and she looked at him curiously. "Are those what I think they are?" seeing as she had no idea what he thought they were she just looked confused. "Ships?" he asked hopefully.

The Twi'lek smiled a bit at his almost childlike awe. "Yes, those are Venator class cruisers, they serve as our military's mainstay warship and as our orbital support platform during ground-side invasions like this one."

He nodded thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "You know, I sorta assumed judging by the way you spoke back in the tent, that your Republic wasn't just on this world, but I have to admit…Seeing massive interstellar warships sorta drives that notion home. Just how large is your Republic?"

She considered that trying to remember the stats she'd heard in the past. "At its peak before the Separatist crisis, it spanned about two thirds of the Galaxy, which itself is about one hundred and twenty thousand light years across. Leaving aside a few independent regions and unexplored space around the fringes or on the western side of the Galaxy of course…It represents many thousands of species and worlds, and has done so for nearly twenty thousand years."

Harry nodded, looking impressed. "Well that'll knock Hermione's socks off when you tell her I'm sure. She lives and breathes stuff like that. Now, back to business, as we're in a bit of a hurry I'll note that I can see another vantage closer to those ships of yours. From there we'll hopefully be able to safely jump the rest of the way. Thank Merlin we probably won't have to hop about like this on the way back…" He muttered.

She couldn't help but wonder just what he meant by that but let it go for the moment. Again he held out his hand. "You ready?"

Again they jumped, and this time she barely broke her stride, though it still felt awful.

From their new vantage point, she could clearly see the majority of the Republic base in the distance, overshadowed by the Cruisers landed beside it. There was a lot of traffic, now that her forces had returned from their mission. She could see smaller craft landing and taking off from the various pads strewn about the base, spotted dozens of speeder bikes patrolling the area around the perimeter, and saw an HAVw A6 Juggernaut tank rolling up the ramp into the belly of one of the ships and various walkers formed up on the parade ground for maintenance and inspection.

She wondered how long it would be before the Republic left this world…Would it be soon? In securing the water treatment plant they had likely crushed much of the remaining Separatist forces on planet. The locals likely wouldn't be a serious problem…

"Okay," Said Harry straightening himself out a bit, "Where do we need to be inside that base?" he asked drawing the Time Turner on it's cord out from under the edge of his jacket.

She considered that, looking over the base with a critical eye. She was relieved she wasn't responsible for protecting base security anymore, considering Harry's ability to teleport…How was one supposed to protect against that? "There, you see that large prefab near the centre with the large comm array?" She asked indicating a building which bristled with antennas and sat dishes.

He nodded easily. "Okay, come here, we're going to turn back the clock before we head down there,"

She stepped over eagerly, this was it, this was her chance to stop everything from happening…or well, at least to mitigate it somewhat, she chided herself. It wouldn't do to go counting their victories just yet. Harry loosened the necklace of the device and stepped right up next to her shoulder-to-shoulder before draping it around both of their necks. "Wait!" Aayla exclaimed before twisting her wrist and eyeing her chrono. At Harry's questioning look she shrugged. "It passively updates through signals from that tower. You can't blame me for being curious whether this will actually work."

Harry shrugged and nodded towards her. "Last chance to change your mind. You're _absolutely_ certain that you want to try this and that you can abide by the rules?"

Aayla shut her eyes and drowned out the quiet voice that had been screaming for answers since seeing them arguing earlier. "I cannot leave a chance to save my friends and comrades untaken. I understand that you have understated the risks, I will be asking for a full explanation once we are back but not now. We have to go."

Harry flashed her a small smile before he looked down to the small hourglass and took a deep breath. "Here we go then. Wish us luck…" Harry muttered, unlatching the device.

"May the Force be with us." She agreed.

He began turning the device and spun it twelve times before locking it. Then things got...strange…Time seemed to almost flow... _backwards_ , the tank rolled back down the ramp, those speeders flew backwards and the army within the base marched back through the gates at high speed. It was fascinating to watch, as the process accelerated and she could literally stand and follow the sun being hauled back across the sky…

Finally it slowed and she and Harry found themselves once again staring at the base, this time calm and empty, its forces absent for their critical mission. There was a brief moment where the world around them seemed to stutter, the few personnel still in the base walked backwards again then forwards and finally backwards before halting in place for a long moment. The moment felt like it stretched out into eternity before with a loud crack, time reasserted itself beginning it's inexorable march onwards and depositing Aayla and Harry onto the ground with a hard crash..

She blew out a breath and rose to her knees shaking her head and trying to regain her equilibrium. "Was that supposed to happen?"

Harry scowled as he looked upon a shattered hourglass and the broken chain clutched in his hand. "No, it's supposed to be smooth. Well that's what we get for using a broken Time Turner."

Aayla eyed him for a moment before shrugging. She checked her chrono again to see if it had updated and couldn't prevent the smile from spreading across her face. It had actually worked! She was a bit staggered by it all, but nevertheless smiled brightly turning back to eye Harry. "Nine and a half hours back! Thank you."

He nodded, eyeing the pieces of the hourglass worriedly. "Nine and a half hours...Well, we should hopefully still have enough time; we'll just have to work a bit faster. You're welcome by the way….As to this thing…well I think it's pretty obvious we're not going to get a second chance. I'll take this victory and call it done."

She nodded understanding. This was their one shot. She'd have to make it count. Harry put the little device away and looked to her. "You ready then? Good." He grasped her hand and they made the last jump. This was it.

* * *

Republic Base

Felucia Wilds

They arrived with a crack beside the command centre's main communications building, just as a clone trooper stepped out the door yawning.

Aayla had to stifle a curse as she reached for her lightsaber, only to have her hand stilled by Harry's as it gently grasped hers about the wrist. The clone looked up from his data pad in confusion at the snap of their apparition, and Harry drew a finger to his lips indicating a need for silence.

The clone looked about uncertainly for a moment before shrugging and continuing on his way, muttering about how he hoped to get some decent chow for once at the mess hall. Apparently they really were invisible, it was all enough to make her slightly giddy.

Harry smirked watching the clone wander away before making an exaggerated after you motion to her. She smiled, nodding silently before taking the lead and stepping through the door.

They managed to get inside without further interruption, the building largely abandoned with so many of the clone troopers out on mission. Here Harry stopped her, checking his watch, before sighing in relief. She had to admit the charming little antique chrono was an interesting addition to his outfit and wondered why he had such an old device. He nodded after a minute and indicated a closet off to the side.

They entered, quietly closing the door behind them, Harry pulling his stick to perform a few spells on it just to be safe. "We have just over an hour before they betray you, how do you want to do this?"

She considered that, she'd been thinking about that off and on since the plan had been suggested. She knew what she wanted to do but was certain she could use some help doing it. "Can you keep everyone in the command centre away from the consoles and distracted once I open the door? Preferably without alerting the entire base to the that they have intruders…"

Harry grimaced, but nodded firmly. "I can." He said shortly, and she wondered just what it was he would need to do, if it upset him so. Apparently her concern showed as he sighed and elaborated. "I can do it. It just won't be pleasant."

She nodded, such was the way of things sometimes. It was for a good cause though…

They left the closet and she led him over to the door to the main communications centre. She tapped the key code into the door lock and it hissed open, allowing them to hurry through as the clones within looked up in confusion noting the conspicuous absence of a person in the doorway.

They may have even investigated had Harry not drawn his stick again, straightening again with a grimace before growling out a single word. " _Imperio_!"

She wasn't sure just yet what he had done, but the wave of Force energy which emanated from the little device and washed over her clones, causing them to stiffen before relaxing into a blank expression…It made her sick, whatever that was it absolutely reeked of malevolence, leaking it into the Force like an oozing wound.

Harry gave her a sad sympathetic look and then turned to the clones. With a muttered word she felt a mild tingle as the earlier invisibility bled off of the two of them. Once the tingle vanished, Harry spoke to the clones, "You will cluster against the wall and think of the happiest moment in your life. You won't react to anything going on in this room until we leave." He intoned in a voice firm with command, and the clones, one after the other, nodded before moving to the back wall in a stiff orderly fashion. In less than a minute each clone had a happy smile on their face and some were nodding along to an unheard beat.

She found herself conflicted, she'd asked Harry to do this, and it was critical to their mission but…He nodded at her, looking sickened himself, and explained. "I hate doing that…I've had to do it once before like that and it always makes me want to vomit. Figured this way they'd at least have something nice to think about...I'll obliviate them as we leave in case they overhear anything you say. I can't do anything specific but I can get rid of the last few minutes."

She asked for clarification. "You just took control of their minds didn't you?" She suspected the truth and his nod confirmed it.

"Yes, and were the situation not so dire, I'd never have even considered doing it." He grumbled, shivering. She understood then that what he had done was no easy thing for him - and it had come as a sacrifice on his part. That he hated himself for resorting to it. "You have the room, the show's yours." He noted pacing uneasily. "What now?"

She nodded getting herself back on track, "I'll establish an uplink to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, using full security procedures, I'll have to hurry though, once connected I'll only have five minutes before the system makes a recording of my message for security purposes."

"Who will you be speaking to, and do you think you can convince them?" Harry asked.

She'd considered that already, "Shaak Ti, she is a Master in our Order, and was present at the Temple when we had our briefing this morning…" So much could change in a day. "She's a friend of mine, and if I give her the correct counter signs she'll trust what I have to say."

He nodded and stepped to the side giving her free access to the consoles. She dipped her head in thanks before hurrying over to the main comm uplink and powered it up. The projector heated and ignited into a blaze of light before dimming, an image of Shaak Ti resolving from the motes of light a few moments later.

Shaak Ti was a Togrutan Jedi with red skin and pale white markings around her eyes and up her horn-like montrals. A woman of about two and a half years her senior, and about her height, Shaak Ti was a powerful Jedi who had quickly worked her way up to a Council rank, despite lacking the usual…more forward approach of the guardian path. She was one of those who favoured a more temperate approach to matters and was a strong voice of reason on the Jedi's ruling council.

"Ah, Aayla, I did not expect to be seeing you again so soon. I hope you are making good time?" She asked dipping her chin in greeting.

Aayla nodded, in a way it was true after all… "I'm sorry for skipping any pleasantries Master Ti, but I have an urgent matter to discuss with you. Priority Omega Code Black."

Shaak Ti blinked, challenge request codes were not lightly utilized. This one in particular denoted a top level crisis for the attention of the Grand Master or the highest ranking Council member available. She offered the prearranged code between them though with only a moment's pause. "Challenge: Quinlan"

Aayla bobbed her head, then gave the response. "Counter: T'da."

"Stimulus: Glitterstim."

"Final Response: Kit Fisto," Aayla said suppressing a shiver.

Shaak Ti nodded accepting it. "What is wrong Aayla?"

Aayla shook her head in frustration, she had so little time…"I don't have much time, security will start recording this call soon…you know that if I used those words in that context I am being serious and the matter is truly urgent." The Master Jedi nodded agreement.

"I know what I am about to tell you sounds - well frankly _impossible_ but please believe me, I beg you." Aayla pleaded. "I have just traveled back in time, about nine or ten hours or so, to deliver a warning to the Order." Aayla explained wincing slightly when the other Jedi adopted a quizzical look, her mouth popping open to protest but Aayla pressed on before she could be interrupted. "Within one hour, the Supreme Chancellor will give an Order to all our forces across the Galaxy to eliminate the Jedi Order."

She ploughed on despite Shaak Ti's thunderstruck look. "My soldiers turned on me and I was wounded, I had assistance in surviving the attack and indeed in coming back to tell you this…please, Master Ti, you have to believe me. It isn't too late yet…"

Shaak Ti considered her for a time before beginning to nod slowly. "Had you not used that code I would have called you a liar or assumed you up to mischief…however you would never profane those names' honour in such a way…." Her nodding had become a bit more firm now as she frowned. "Very well, I'll handle things on this end. Although—" She paused looking worried. "Masters Windu, Fisto, Tiin and Kolar, all just left not long ago on critical business with the Chancellor…"

Aayla blanched, _Kit_ ….he was going to face that monster…if the attack happened as she knew it did. He had to have failed…

"Whatever business it was, it clearly went awry…That might be linked to the attacks." Harry noted in an undertone.

"Who was that?" Asked Master Ti curious at the visage which had briefly entered the projection on her end before retreating.

"A friend, the one who helped me come back. Look, we're just about out of time…but—you cannot contact me again before the attack. There is another version of me running around on Felucia and if you interfere the consequences would be dire."

The Togrutan Jedi nodded, pondering. "Very well, I trust you Aayla. Be careful…I would suggest going dark as per protocol for one week. If you don't hear from any of the Council before then…"

"I understand." Aayla murmured. If none called it was because they no longer could.

"Alright, I have work to do it seems, I'll try and contact as many of our number on the frontline as I can—good luck Aayla. May the Force be with you."

"May it be with us all." Aayla murmured as the link closed. She turned her attention to Harry who stood looking at his watch. "Fifteen seconds left. Good work."

She sighed her relief, as she checked his count against the indicator on the comm board. She had given her warning, it was up to the others now. Somehow she found it difficult to find comfort. "Hey this should make a real difference, who knows how many you'll save by doing this?" He offered.

She nodded, appreciating what he was trying to do. "Thank you Harry, without you this wouldn't have been possible." She shook her head. "Without you who knows what would have become of the Jedi?"

Harry shuffled uncertainly, and she grimaced, realizing he was far from comfortable with being praised. "Yeah well. I'm just here to help you along right? It was Hermione's time turner—" She smirked in amusement at his modesty, but didn't press him.

"Now then, what should we do next?" Harry asked, diverting attention. "We can't head straight back to camp anyways…"

She nodded acceptance of that. "I would like to gather some of my belongings from my quarters, and…" She considered what was likely possible. "We'll need supplies, even though your camp seems well provisioned, having some extra wouldn't hurt." He nodded agreement at that.

"Okay, let's hit up your quarters first then." He paused, "But we'd better disillusion ourselves before we go…"

A moment later and the curious sensation which came with being invisible fell over her.

"Alright let's get out of here," Harry murmured, and followed her nearly to the hallway, pausing as they reached the back wall with the clones who were still dutifully lined up near the wall with their happy grins and vacant expressions.

Harry cursed. " _This_ —this is why I hate doing this to people…" He growled, then straightened and addressed the clones. "Alright you lot, we're done here, you may return to your posts."

He watched them file back into the comm centre and as soon as they took their places he murmured, " _Obliviate_!" Another wave of the Force flowed from his stick and wrapped around the clones. Unlike his previous 'spell' this one had a distinct neutral flavor to it almost as if it was equal parts Dark and Light. She shook her head to brush away the philosophical examination for a more appropriate time and watched as the clones slowly seemed to come out of their confusion resuming their prior duties. Harry scowled briefly and shook his head. She patted him consolingly on the shoulder, stifling a cringe as she picked up a surge of self loathing at the touch. Finally she shook that off and led the way back out onto the base, guiding the way towards her quarters which were located across the main square from the command prefab.

She noted her starfighter where it rested on the small pad next to her prefab and frowned, even were it not far too small, taking it would unnecessarily draw attention to the possibility of her survival, though that was secondary to the possibility of accidentally tipping off the clones to her presence here on base when the Order to kill the Jedi eventually came. She stopped before the door to her quarters and frowned, At the curious expression Harry directed her way she explained. "The only person with the passkey to open my quarters is me...if I open this door with my card, they'll know I was _here_ when I should be out _there_ …" She said indicating the jungle beyond the forcefield wall.

Harry looked quizzically at the door. "We can open though right? Just not with your passkey?"

"Well yes but unless you happen to have a hacking program in your stick that will be a little difficult," Aayla noted tiredly.

"Well, it's not quite hacking, but in this situation it's close enough." Harry offered with a grin. He moved towards the door lock and a moment later and offending barrier was hissing open. Despite the encrypted hard lock…

She shook her head as they entered the prefab, closing the door behind them. "I don't understand how it is you use the Force in such a manner."

He shrugged, smiling ruefully. "We can talk about it a bit later perhaps. Maybe while we're waiting for our time to head back to camp?" He offered.

She could accept that, she reflected as she turned to consider her spartan quarters.

"I suppose you don't get a lot of creature comforts when leading an army…" Harry speculated taking in the mostly bare space.

She couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Oh, some officers live very finely indeed." She argued thinking of some of the quarters she'd seen captains and admirals keep. "But this is just a field prefab. Not the quarters I'd be assigned while on a long term deployment aboard a ship or at a base." She shrugged. "Also, I'm a Jedi."

Harry tilted his head at her quizzically as she continued to take stock of the room. "You say that as if it explains everything…and just what are you looking for?"

She frowned a bit. "A bag, I'll need something to carry my things in…"

He shook his head in amusement. Pulling a small bag from his pocket and handing it to her. She couldn't help but frown at it, it wasn't very large. "It's bigger on the inside than on the outside." He explained baldly, and she felt her brow lines climb up her forehead. Her brain quickly going over the implications. She had to test it however.

Hurrying over to her dresser, Aayla pulled open the drawer and began packing the clothes into the bag, only growing more and more intrigued as the bag barely expanded with each bundle that was stuffed inside. She turned back to him as the last of it entered the bag, leaving it little bigger and no heavier than before. "It's like your tent then? I thought that was an illusion but…"

He nodded and she just shook her head, more than a little awed by it all, before moving to collect the rest of her belongings. She even managed to find some bags - though there was no reason to use them anymore thanks to the one Harry had provided.

She shook her head bringing herself back to his comments. "I forgot you don't know anything about the Jedi…" She admitted. "We are not prone to living extravagantly for the most part. I may not live as ascetically as some within the Order, but I still refrain from lavish decorations."

A shaken head met that statement. "You make the Jedi sound like monks…"

It wasn't a bad analogy she had to admit, though there were several big differences. "I suppose the comparison is apt, the Jedi tradition is supposed to be a way of life and not merely an organization that one joins. Limiting ourselves somewhat is a part of that."

He nodded, watching her work her way about the room, "Are all Jedi magical, or use the Force as you say?"

She considered that, "Yes, all Jedi are Force sensitives. It is what allow Jedi to perform our duties when others could not." She paused to wobble her head a bit on her shoulders, "Which isn't to say the Order is solely made up of Jedi. There are many thousands of ordinary people of all species who work with the Jedi and help keep the organization running. It would after all be somewhat odd to have a Force sensitive who could otherwise be training or carrying out missions, spending his or her time instead maintaining the Temple, or scrubbing the floor."

Harry frowned slightly at that. "Just because someone can do something others can't doesn't make them better than everyone else, Aayla. There's no reason Jedi can't scrub floors."

"My apologies, it was a poor analogy. We tend to have droids doing that sort of work actually. What I meant was simply that our non…'magicals' are just as valued as the Force Sensitive personnel." Grabbing up a few things from the bathroom she shrugged. "They are in the end just as critical to the Order's continued existence as the Jedi…" She paused as a thought occurred to her. "I just hope they are being protected too."

Harry nodded sympathetically, looking speculative. She wondered what was going through his mind. Finally she stuffed the last of her belongings into the small sack and tied it off.

"Where to now?" Harry asked, as he took in the now utterly barren room.

"The armoury I think, it's where we stored most of the supplies for this base." Aayla responded, securing the small bag to her hip. "It's this way."

She led him once again across the main square, this time to a larger prefab with big cargo doors. Slipping into the armoury actually proved depressingly easy, the main doors were open as the clone officers present went about sorting a shipment through the door. Invisible as they were it was a simple matter to just walk inside.

Aside from the crew working near the door, the armoury was actually fairly empty, a lone clone quartermaster working in the back with an inventory droid.

She noted Harry watching the droid's progress with interest for a moment before he turned his attention back to her. She really was wondering why so much they encountered seemed to catch his interest. Was it just the newness of the surroundings or was there...something more?

"So what do we need in here?" Harry asked quietly.

She pointed to a grav sledge which floated unused in the corner and he nodded understanding. The unit was soon disillusioned and linked into their own concealment allowing them to see it.

The Twi'lek then quietly led Harry about the armoury carefully collecting items of interest onto the sledge and linked into the disillusion. First up were four crates from the pile of rations. She wasn't exactly eager to eat the tasteless bars of nutrients but it was better than starving.

After grabbing a crate of grenades she was ready to call it done. Here Harry actually stopped her. "What about guns?" He asked, curiously, indicating the racks of weapons which dominated the majority of the warehouse.

She frowned a little, a touch confused. "Jedi don't use blasters…" She offered, trailing off a touch weakly when he raised a brow at her.

"Look, I sympathize, magicals don't use mundane weapons generally either, but it'd be a bit silly if we found ourselves in a situation in which you needed to fight at range and were unable to do so…Now's not exactly a time to be picky…" He noted dryly.

She had to concede he had a point and took the gentle rebuke as it was intended, feeling a bit chagrined for being so hidebound as to dismiss their utility out of hand.

Their next stop therefore was to make off with a rack of DC-15A Blaster Rifles and a smaller rack of DC-15S Carbines, as well as a couple crates of energy cells and blaster gas. Which brought her up short. Despite all they had grabbed there was still space on the sledge, and it felt rather silly to not grab all they could.

She had him grab a crate of medical supplies, while she surreptitiously purloined a deactivated Astro-droid. She had a notion of what they were going to do next, and if they went ahead with it, they'd likely need one of the little fellows. She was pleased to see it was an R2 unit as opposed to some of the more temperamental R3 or R4 units.

"That should do for the moment, come on." She said to her companion, and led the way back to the door, where the clones were idling, waiting for another shipment, no one paying enough attention to catch the few signs that an invisible pair with a grav sledge were sneaking by.

"So where to now? You have an idea where we can stash this stuff?" Harry asked from his place guiding the small hovering craft.

"Oh a few," She murmured back in amusement as she led him towards the airfield. As they approached the hangars and airstrip which lay in the shadow of a looming warship, Harry had to speak up.

"You know I admire how well you're handling all this, magic powers, time travel and all that, but…I'm not sure we can steal one of those…even with my help." Harry murmured staring at the landed Venator.

Aayla snickered a bit at his worry, and filed away the notion that there was indeed a limit to what Harry could do. "We're not going to steal one of those. You're quite right, and not the least because such a ship would be impossible to steal with so few people to aid in running it. No, we're going to steal one of those…" She said indicating a craft which lay idle in one of the prefab hangers.

Harry considered the smaller craft, a Consular class Frigate, the so called 'Charger Refit', before nodding. "That's far more manageable, especially if there is no one aboard…"

She paused as she considered that risk, and nodded, it was something she should have thought of, but she'd been too preoccupied. She cast her senses at the vessel and was relieved to find that it was indeed currently empty aside from an astro-droid which was toddling about the lower decks. "It's empty," she reassured him and Harry shook his head in interest.

"I still can't get over how casually you are able to sense things…For me to even try that I'd need an incantation." He muttered as he continued to ponder the ship. "I assume you want to take this ship and hide it near camp right?" She nodded agreement.

He sucked at his cheek as he considered that. Then nodded. "I think I can do that, yeah. We'll keep it simple until we want to go though… some redirection wards and a notice me not should do nicely until we're ready to leave."

Aayla nodded agreement, "Very well, let's get these aboard the ship and see about removing any tracking equipment, then I'll give you a proper tour." She offered with a touch of mischief.

Her companion just shook his head in amusement before following her lead towards the ramp. They'd been able to get a warning to the Jedi, she was alive and they had a plan for how to proceed regardless of how things went out there in the galaxy. That was a comfort in itself. It could have been far worse…

* * *

A few hours later

Felucia Wilds

Ravine Camp

Hermione was worried. She'd been fighting the urge to run outside the moment she'd heard Harry and Aayla Secura disapparate. However, the reason she was resisting was because her friend had asked her not to panic should things take a little longer than expected.

She knew it was good advice to follow, Harry knowing her as well as he did…Nevertheless she was struggling with it a bit more than usual.

Struggle as she might, she couldn't help but run over the things which could possibly have gone wrong in her head. There was after all always a risk when using a Time Turner...even one which _wasn't_ a damaged, stolen, unmaintained leftover running short on enchanted sand...She couldn't help but wonder if she had been wrong to even suggest using it.

Her impressions of Aayla could have been wrong, or what if they got caught trying to get out a warning…

She cursed herself; what if, what if, what if…Already she wanted to scream in frustration, what if's were a sure fire way to drive oneself mad. But she couldn't help it, a nasty little voice in the back of her mind kept accusing her of having gotten her best friend killed.

That would be unbearable. It was hard in the wake of her breakup with Ron though. She'd always been close to Harry, but being in such close proximity to him even for a short period brought it all back to her.

She still didn't know just why she'd done it, but she'd certainly meant a little more by that little good luck kiss on the cheek than she'd admitted. Judging by the brief look which had flitted over the alien woman's face Aayla knew, or had a good idea what Hermione had really meant.

If Hermione had hurt him, even if she'd meant the best by suggesting that course of action…she'd never forgive herself.

Juno and Crookshanks were already giving her reproachful looks. It truly was a curse, the obsessive side of her personality, the portion of herself which forced her to dig and drive, and niggle at a worry until it was either solved or rendered irrelevant. More often it simply gave her an ulcer…

The young woman was pacing faster now, more what if's thundering through her head until she could take it no more and…

She stopped as an odd humming in the distance caught her attention. It grew louder as she payed closer attention to it. A hum, definitely artificial, growing stronger, growing closer.

Hermione had no way to know for certain, but she needed to hope, to go out and be made sure…The alternative was that it was the soldiers come to find them while her friend was gone, but she had to try and be positive despite the possibility.

She ventured tentatively outside the tent, peering cautiously out at the ravine, unwilling to venture beyond the wardline just yet.

A wind picked up outside as the hum rose to become a dull throb in the air she could feel reverberating against the walls of the ravine and the wards over the cave entrance. Large clouds of dust were kicked up by some unseen force above her field of vision. The dust and grit blowing against the wards, creating dazzling patterns of light as it caressed the shields, mercifully invisible on the outside, but not from within.

Then a brief flare of light she couldn't quite track with her eyes, followed by brief washes of heat and flying debris, followed by a thump, the stones and dirt layering the ravine floor suddenly shifting under some unseen weight and the hum abated to a whine before cutting out entirely.

She smiled, a sense of relief washing through her, allowing her to sag somewhat as a small window opened in the otherwise invisible object, likely a vessel of some kind and a square of light appeared.

A slim rectangle of metal appeared next first parallel to the ground then angling downward to meet the floor of the ravine. The square of light darkened and Harry stepped out onto the newly arrived ramp and peered about.

She smiled broadly before nearly running from the cave, only now noticing Juno and Crookshanks had joined her.

Harry smiled upon spotting her and trotted down to greet her. "Hey Mione." He murmured sounding tired. She couldn't blame him for being so, he'd been up for who knew how many hours in a row now, a whole day…More?

"Harry, thank Merlin you're alright, I'm so glad you're okay!" Hermione yelled throwing her arms around him and crushing him in a rib-bruising hug. "I was so worried! And you took so long! I thought...I thought the Time Turner had...I'm so glad you're back!" She buried her head against his neck and continued to hug him tight as Harry gently patted her back.

"I'm fine, Mione."

"So, now that the mission is finished..." Aayla murmured as she walked down the ramp behind Harry and nodded to Hermione with a soft grin. "Just how dangerous _was_ what we just did?"

Harry shrugged as best he could with Hermione still holding on. "Not the worst - or stupidest - thing I've done. But it was up there. That Time Turner really only had enough sand left for one person."

Hermione finally let her friend escape and sighed heavily as she turned to Aayla. "Using a Turner consumes a small amount of the sand inside. Generally the ratio is one grain per person per hour. The broken nature of that one made the consumption variable and should you have run out during the transit you could've been scattered across the entire timestream."

Aayla paled; which was actually almost amusing due to her skin tone. Harry however ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Or we could've just been kicked out of the backwards flow wherever the sand ran out."

"Well technically yes, I suppose so but the odds of that happening over other catastrophic failure are..." she trailed off as she looked at him critically. Harry calmly pulled a broken bit of glass and gold chain out of his pocket and held it in front of her. Hermione growled and punched his arm. "I let you out of my sight for ten bloody minutes! Harry James Potter you are forbidden from doing any other stupidly noble thing for the rest of the week! I mean it Harry! We are on an exploration mission with a side goal of a manhunt. We are not here to kill the local equivalent of Voldemort or to leap into more death-defying situations!"

"Yes Mione. It won't happen again until next week," Harry replied with the hint of a grin spreading across his lips.

Throwing up her hands, Hermione gave it up as a lost cause. "We'll see if you can stick to that mister. Now…I assume things worked out then? Tell me how it all went?"

Harry nodded, grimacing slightly to himself before brightening slightly. "Yes, it worked out, Aayla's having a rough time of it though. We managed okay until the attacks started, and then we were swamped in visions again until fairly recently." He paused glancing back to the blue Jedi behind them. "You know you can go sit down in the tent again to keep meditating. The wards may not stop the visions completely but they do minimize their impact slightly. Might help."

"I think I'll take you up on that," Aayla nodded rubbing a hand across her scalp as she walked past them and back into the small campsite.

Hermione frowned unable to imagine what that would feel like for the alien woman…To Hermione it had merely been a disjointed whirlwind of sensations and feelings, mixed with images of people she didn't know fighting and dying. For Aayla, it was likely that she knew a great many of those people personally….

"How did you manage?" Harry asked her, looking her over with a careful eye. She shrugged, not wanting to worry him unduly. She'd handled it rather badly, she could even admit that to herself now that the reason for her fear had passed.

"I managed," She gestured to the whatever it was behind him to redirect the conversation. "So, what is this…thing that you rode in on?" She asked, layering a note of humour into her voice hoping to lighten his mood. He was unusually grim right now and it wasn't from the Time Turner.

He smirked, appreciating the humour. "Ah right, forgot you can't see it, I'll release the spell once we reconfigure the wards to cover it as well I think…but in the mean time let me link you in." He offered drawing his wand.

She blinked in astonishment when the object resolved into view, becoming what had to be…"Okay," She chuckled, uncertainly. "I'll admit I'm no expert in such things, but is this what I think it is?"

She'd seldom seen Harry look so undeniably smug. "If you're thinking we stole a spaceship, then yes, it is indeed what you think it is." He said clearly pleased with himself.

Blinking at him in consternation for a moment, Hermione eventually couldn't help but laugh "You stole a spaceship…Of all the things—" She chuckled shaking her head.

"Well you stole a Time Turner. I felt the need to prove I can be an accomplished thief too." He shrugged and blushed, acting more his usual, modest, self. "It turns out Aayla may need a way off planet within the next week if nobody else comes along to pick her up first. We felt it best to take it before they went on alert."

Nodding in understanding she looked back at the ship. "How did all that go, more specifically I mean…"

Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "We got the warning out, and the person who received our message seemed to believe us, as to whether or not it'll do any good—who knows right? In theory we made a difference." He looked ruefully at his friend. "We then went about stealing supplies, collecting Aayla's things from her room, that sort of thing, then took this ship and ripped its tracking device out…Aayla was originally going to try to sabotage some of the equipment but we ended up deciding that since she hadn't received notification of it the first time through it was too risky. The last thing we needed was to set off a paradox on top of everything. So that's really all we managed before the visions started. Then we just settled in to wait…"

He was frowning again, she noted, it was enough evidence for her to see that something was definitely wrong with her friend. She sighed, "What's wrong Harry, you seem upset…did something else happen?"

A sigh was all she got for a moment before he smiled wryly at her, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Can't fool you can I?" He teased.

She was glad his mood had improved marginally, still she wondered what had him bothered. "Never," she told him moving to stand beside him and bumping his shoulder with her own.

He nodded conceding she was right. "Well, aside from the fact I'm almost certain Aayla witnessed the deaths of some people she knew, and was quite likely fairly close to…I had to do something—distasteful, to get us into the communications centre."

Hermione didn't like the sound of that, but kept her peace for the moment. After a few seconds Harry eventually caved and admitted what he'd been forced to do in a low voice, filled with shame. "I had to use Imperio again…" He growled.

A wince followed that statement, which he thankfully didn't notice, being too busy staring at his shoes. She didn't want him to think he'd disgusted her, but she knew how that spell felt, having been placed under it in fourth year, and knowing how ill it had made her feel in her Unspeakable training course, when she'd needed to use it for instructional purposes.

She sighed. "I'm sorry Harry, what happened?"

Harry grimaced for a moment before elaborating, "We had to get the detain the soldiers in the communications centre, we couldn't risk them raising an alarm in a fight or cottoning that something was up after the fact so I used it and then erased their memories after…"

He had her sympathy; coupled with an obliviate it was indeed the most certain way to safely neutralize those within the communications centre without resorting to a pitched battle which could have drawn attention or risking someone breaking an enchantment and raising the alarm…

She hugged him tightly, "I'm so sorry Harry, I know what doing stuff like that does to you inside." She mumbled against his shoulder. She could practically taste his self-recriminations over it.

He hugged her back, holding her a minute before stepping back with a sigh. "I never wanted to be the sort of person who would use those curses…

 _Were it so simple_ , she reflected. "And you're not Harry, it was only in dire necessity that you resorted to it. The kind of people you're talking about use it on a whim, for fun…You'd never do that."

He nodded, though she could not tell if he really meant it. There was no point in beleaguering the issue, so she let it go for the moment. "So what now?"

"I'll get some of the stuff out of the ship then go check on Aayla, she flew us here but it all took its toll on her, she needs a bit of time to meditate and collect herself. Maybe we can keep her occupied until the worst passes…she's still healing anyway and with everything we just did she's going to be pretty weak. The visions can't be helping at all. Beyond that...I guess we wait until the soldiers leave maybe, or maybe just until someone comes to retrieve her."

"Okay, I'll be right here." She promised. Harry was focusing on their friend's problems rather than his own, but she knew he needed her too.

Harry disappeared back into the ship, and Hermione thought a bit about what he'd been like last time he'd been forced to use that curse…ideally he'd never have had to use that thing again, after all he'd only managed to console himself the first time based on the hope he'd never have need of it again.

A few minutes later Harry returned with a small levitating cart and smiled at Hermione as he walked. "Come on," he encouraged over his shoulder. "Let's get some food in us, and just see about relaxing for a bit, get some rest maybe. It's been a long day for all of us I'm sure."

Hermione sidled up beside him as they began making their way back to the tent. They were all alive, she reflected hooking herself on his right arm, so long as that were true things would be okay. Anything else could be overcome.

* * *

 **Acknowledgements:** Tested out some beta's this week so I have a few more than usual.

-T-Knight (Temporal Knight)  
-Mordreek  
-Delphinous  
-Stars90  
-BrightSkywalker

Also my nod once again to Plums and Bluminous for spawning the general premise I started out with.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay guys. Real life **_sucks_**. But I think I've got some things figured out.

* * *

Shaak Ti's Meditation Room

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

A certain Togruta Jedi Master sat thoughtfully on the comfortable couch which served as the centrepiece to her small but tastefully austere apartment. She was pondering what had just happened as the first thin streams of moonlight began to enter through the partly drawn window shades.

The dull blue glow the holoprojector had cast across the room still fading as it cooled.

 _Time Travel_ , she mused uneasily. It was not a comfortable thing to be confronted with, or even to contemplate in all honesty. She found the notion that something as seemingly immutable and core to the fabric of reality as time itself was in fact _not_ so imperturbable as many had thought, deeply concerning to say the least. It cast a great many things into doubt.

Many considered such a thing utterly impossible, and it certainly flew in the face of most commonly accepted theories about the nature of the universe she had to admit. However Shaak Ti, the Jedi in question had long ago learned to stop believing anything was impossible where the Force was concerned.

No, the question which now dominated her mind in this case was whether or not she truly believed Aayla Secura's claim of having successfully proven all those theories wrong.

She shifted slightly on her couch as she pondered that nodding idly to herself. Simply put, she did, or rather she believed at the very least that Aayla believed it was true herself. It was a slightly convoluted thought she would admit but it was the closest she could get at the moment.

Shaak Ti was somewhat unusual among the Jedi, being far less conservative and hidebound than her stoic demeanour would have many believe. So she, unlike many in the order, was among the few who did not have strongly held…'opinions', about the young Twi'lek Jedi.

Aayla Secura, was a strong, passionate young woman with firmly held beliefs and a zest for life that few in the Jedi order dared indulge in, it was true. However, Aayla was without a doubt a kind, enthusiastic Jedi who was loyal to a fault and possessed a sharp mind many underestimated because of her appearance or in the case of those who knew of it, her past as well. If life had been fair the woman would have been up for a position as a master many years ago, proving even to someone of Shaak's patient nature that bias could affect even the most level-headed of the Order's members.

And thus the warning the younger woman had delivered was, to Shaak's growing disquiet, one to be taken very seriously. If what Aayla said was true, then the fate of the entire Jedi Order and even the Galaxy rested upon her response to that warning, and her ability to convince the others of the threat's validity.

If it was not in fact genuine or if Aayla had in some way been duped…no more need be done or said, save to investigate what had led the Twi'lek to believe such a threat was imminent in the first place.

Logic and practicality however dictated that this was not a matter they could afford to take a "hope for the best" mentality with. Precautions would need to be taken, and if this was all a mistake, then at least Shaak Ti would be able to shoulder some of the burden which would undoubtedly fall on her friend. At the very least this would prove a useful, what was the human term? Ah yes "a fire drill" Shaak thought to herself.

Decision made she raised a hand and with a small twitch of her finger used the force to activate the holocom's built in computer.

"Place voice call, Temple communications centre…" She instructed the machine, straightening her robe somewhat before the unit chimed indicating she was connected.

"Master Ti," A calm, somewhat weary voice greeted. "This is Jedi Knight Markham how can we assist you tonight?"

She needed to make haste so she ignored the pleasantries for the moment. "Please authenticate authorization. Code Aurek—Besh—Two—Eight—Alpha" She intoned firmly.

There was a pregnant pause from the other end and she could practically feel his surprise through both the Force and the holocom in equal measure. Understandable to be sure, considering the Jedi council only insisted on such authentications when high level and high urgency orders were about to be delivered. "Uh—yes, authorization authenticated." The man stammered as he recovered from the blow delivered by Shaak's declaration.

She gave a minute nod to herself at that, "Jedi Knight Markham, please contact Temple Security and take us to alert level Aurek. I will then require you to call in a full team to the communications centre. Do you understand?" She tried to keep her voice level and soothing to keep him calm but even so she still kept the core of steel in her voice that often brought recalcitrant diplomats to heel so that he would not get distracted again.

It was almost amusing the way that, through the Force, she truly could feel his shock and surprise all the way on the other side of the Temple. It was a sharp almost stinging feeling to experience from another being, no matter how often she might have felt it before. She pressed on regardless, the situation too urgent for her to allow the distraction. "I will be down to speak with you and your staff shortly, if you could please have Master's Kcaj, Nu and Drallig meet me there I would appreciate it."

She paused briefly there, considering the last member of the council currently at the Temple. Skywalker was a competent and powerful Jedi it was true, and his assistance would have been invaluable were it not for his well known and _highly_ troubling connection to the Chancellor. She discarded that thought for the moment, no the others would need to suffice in this instance.

"Right away Master Ti." Agreed the Knight when it became apparent she'd said what she intended to.

"Very good, I shall be down shortly. Master Ti out." She murmured ending the call.

Gracefully sliding off the couch and onto her feet Shaak Ti considered the quarters around her. It was an odd thought that it was possible that this might indeed be the last time she had the chance to see the place. The Temple would no longer be secure should Aayla's warning be genuine.

The full weight of the Republic falling on them would necessitate an evacuation.

Thankfully there were only a handful of small things she'd miss even with the proscription against 'forming attachments'. Things she could easily take with her. She summoned her lightsabers from the table next to the couch and dutifully fixed them to her belt before walking into her bedroom.

It was on the bedside table she found the two additional objects she desired to take. First, a small necklace which had a totem she had owned her entire life. A small token of her homeworld, Shili.

The second, a small toy that a very young Ahsoka Tano had gifted her with years ago when the child was just learning to read under her tutelage. One of the few personal gifts she had ever received.

And that was it, everything else there was replaceable she decided and padded back into the meditation room tucking the small treasures into one of the pouches on her belt and withdrawing a small data drive.

She inserted the memory device into the holocom and proceeded to copy the recorded call from Aayla onto it before scrubbing the com device and storage drives using a package Jedi saved protecting highly classified data.

That was everything, Shaak decided, and so she was done. Shaak pulled on her outer robe and after casting one last brief glance over the space which had been her home for so many years she strode out the door.

Ignoring the mild pang at the thought she instead focused on the small sense of gratification she felt seeing the security lighting coming on as she walked. Apparently her orders had been relayed as expected.

The further she walked, the more Jedi she noticed stirring from their apartments. Most were Temple guards and Jedi she knew to be assigned to the comm room, but more and more of them were from the rest of the Temple's population.

Still, they were painfully short on time, she just hoped the other Jedi would listen.

A short while later Shaak Ti arrived at the entrance to the communications centre at almost the exact same time as the one of the other Council members currently in the temple. Jedi Master Coleman Kcaj was an Ongree, which it had to be said, was a species who appeared to be all mouth…Still Coleman was a friendly and astute Jedi, and cordially offered her the right of way for entering the room ahead of him.

"I greet you Master Ti, I admit to being surprised however, being summoned with such urgency at this time of night—" He probed gently following behind her after a friendly nod.

"It seems we have a situation Master Kcaj, I will elaborate in a moment I promise, just as soon as Masters Nu and Drallig…" She cut herself off at a hum as the room's other entrance hissed open. "Ah, and here they are now."

Jocasta Nu, was the current head Librarian for the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as so functioned as the head archivist for the whole Order. A rather dour and sometimes curmudgeonly old woman, she was nevertheless one of the finer Jedi in the Order.

Master Cin Drallig, a tall serious grey haired human male. 'The Troll', as sometimes referred to by his opponents for his propensity for battering his way through most other Jedi's defences, was the current head of Temple security.

"Master Ti." They chorused, drawing near, the curiosity evident in their eyes.

She smiled wanly at them before speaking. "I shall cut to the chase, as matters are most urgent. A few minutes ago I received a communique from Jedi Knight Aayla Secura on Felucia, I will not go into details right now, but she warned that she had evidence of an imminent large scale attack against the Jedi Order."

Cin Drallig straightened, his previously sleep fogged eyes sharpening. This was his area of responsibility after all. "Is the Temple threatened?" He asked getting to the point just as sharply as she.

"Yes, and quite likely the whole Order." The Togruta answered patiently.

Kcaj frowned, an impressive gesture on an Ongree, "How? Who has the resources necessary to target us so specifically on such a scale?" He asked uncertainly. "The enemy has never demonstrated that kind of capability before."

"If the evidence is accurate, which I believe it is…" She answered simply. "The Clone Army…"

Silence thumped down in the room, "Could you explain a bit Master Ti?" Drallig suggested tightly, his focus heightened even more with the addition of such a threat to the Order, that their allies would turn on them so.

She nodded uneasily, "As you know, I personally led an investigation into a malfunctioning Clone biochip within the last year?" She asked leadingly, receiving a nod in agreement from those gathered, the story had spread far within the Order itself, though not beyond. "It was determined at the time that the Clone's violent behaviour towards the Jedi might have been a result of this malfunction."

The others were nodding now, many had been friends of Jedi Master Tiplar, her sister hadn't been the same since. "If Knight Secura is correct, this conclusion both on my part and possibly on the part of the Kaminoan assisting me, was inaccurate. It appears highly likely the Clones are about to receive a galaxy-wide order to turn on the Jedi."

Cin Drallig was the first to catch on, his nickname might have been "The Troll" but he was far from stupid. "Shaak—" He murmured tension tightening the skin around his eyes. Urgency degrading his sense of propriety somewhat in this case. "The only person who could give such an order to all Republic forces would be the Chancellor…"

She nodded solemnly, and he cursed violently. The others looked scared, the clones were everywhere, the Jedi relied heavily on them, if they turned against them…

"If you are wrong…" Warned Jocasta Nu, not needing to finish the thought.

Shaak Ti bowed her head slightly acknowledging the warning. "Then myself and Knight Secura will bear the burden. But if we are right…"

"Then we're in a mountain of trouble." Drallig finished.

Unsurprisingly the person who made the same connection she had was the other member of the Council. "Force…Masters Windu, Fisto, Tiin and Kolar are all headed for the Chancellor's office…" He growled.

She nodded sadly. "We can attempt to contact them but I believe we will find ourselves too late…"

"And Skywalker?" Drallig asked.

Surprisingly it was one of the comm room staff who spoke up. "Master Skywalker left for the Senate building not long ago Master Ti…"

The implications of that were...worrisome to put it mildly. Drallig stepped up to handle things then. "I'll get the clones we have in the building corralled and contained, if we're wrong we were just being cautious, but if we're right we'll have potentially saved a few lives.

"You truly believe an attack on the Temple is imminent?" Jocasta Nu asked, worry pinching the corner of her eyes. The Togruta merely nodded seriously, and the elder woman sighed, suddenly looking every bit her age. "Then I'll need my entire staff called to the library, so we might save what we can then—" She cut herself off and she blanched. "What will we do about the younglings?"

Shaak Ti nodded agreement, she'd been about to point out the issue herself. "Get the younglings, as many critical artifacts as can be moved, a full backup of the archives and a team of Jedi you trust on a ship and off world as soon as possible. Deep cover protocols I think…"

The others murmured in agreement, no chances could be taken with the safety of the children. The Librarian nodded firmly then sighed once more. "We can't possibly get all the artifacts we should out. Not if this attack is imminent."

Already activity was picking up in the room as various staff started gathering those needed for the tasks set out by their little meeting. "I know," Shaak Ti murmured remorsefully. "I'm sorry."

Jocasta waved that off, "We'll just have to do our best then…" artifacts could be recovered, lifes and knowledge not so much.

The security chief was up next. "If an attack is imminent, we'll need to evacuate the others, I and the rest of the guards will set up to delay any attackers.

"As will I, though I believe I will be sending my apprentice with the younglings Archivist." Kcaj interjected, his padawan was fairly young, and in no condition for a battle. "We should also make sure the non-Jedi staff get out safely…"

"Do we have the ships?" Jedi Markham asked, speaking up for the first time.

Cin Drallig shook his head firmly. "Not even close, but we can get the younglings and some of the helpless out if we hurry. The rest….some will manage to catch a ship, the others will need to scatter into the undercity…"

He paused then cursed again grimacing, and the others looked concerned. "What about Barriss Offee?"

There was a palpable tension in the room at the mention of the former Jedi. Barriss was a former colleague of many of them, a fine Jedi once, and a respected healer. Now, she was incarcerated in the so called "Asylum" section of the detention block after orchestrating attacks on the temple nearly a year before.

"She can't be allowed to fall into enemy hands." Drallig growled harshly. "She'd basically be another Sith ready and waiting should they capture her…"

The others in the Council were in full agreement. Shaak Ti's nod was somewhat less firm, as while she agreed that the young woman would be easy prey for the manipulations of a Sith, she did not believe as the others did that she was just waiting for another excuse to harm the Order further. The Togruta unlike the others had been privy to the reports regarding Barriss' progress with the healers…

"I'll handle her personally." She interjected decisively, her eyes daring anyone to disagree,though it was soon clear that none present saw the need to do so however. "Good, as for everyone else here, contact as many Jedi as you can manage on the front lines and put out a warning…"

Shaak Ti turned to the others and they nodded, before silently moving to leave the room and get to their assigned tasks. She then turned to regard Knight Markham who had remained behind and was watching her expectantly. "If you could put me through to the Grand Master please?"

The knight nodded and within a minute she was gazing at the image of Jedi Master Yoda, as he leaned on his glimmer stick looking concerned. "Master Ti, surprised to hear from you I am…" he greeted bobbing his head slightly leaning forward. "Extremely curious and concerned with the business you have with me I am."

She offered a short bow in return, "Master Yoda, are you alone?" And Master Yoda's expression and appearance soon grew to match his own extreme age as Shaak Ti relayed her tale once more...

* * *

Anakin Skywalker, was no more, the man in question mused to himself, at least not in public. So far as the rest of the galaxy was concerned he was now Darth Vader and would need to get in the habit of thinking of himself as such. Not that it was easy to do so.

It was…difficult to accept, that the part of his life where he had gone by his birth name had passed. He was no longer a Jedi. He'd strived his entire life towards being the best Jedi he could possibly be and yet now here he was. The very antithesis of a Jedi, a Sith.

Not just any Sith but a freshly minted Sith lord, charged with the destruction of everything he had once stood for. The irony was sickening…

There was no longer any choice, not anymore he admonished himself bitterly. He'd gone too far now, there was no turning back. He'd done the unthinkable, turned his back on the Jedi, cutting down another of the Order.

No, there was no choice, not if he was to succeed in his mission for his new master. Not if he was to save Padme, to prevent himself from losing her as he had his mother. His Master, Palpatine…he had promised, that this is what it took to ensure that never happened. That he needed to do this deed to be strong enough to save her. Strong enough in the Darkside to twist the Force itself to sustain life even should the worst occur.

Not that it was an easy thing, or that the path he'd set himself on was an easy one to tread. . He'd betrayed everything and everyone he'd ever trusted. That stung the most as fixed as he now was on his path he still harboured…regrets. For the pain he was bound to cause. But it _needed_ to be done he told himself, believing it a little more each time he thought it, his justifications sounding more and more true in his mind.

He was shaken from his dark pondering on that as the deck of the gunship shifted beneath his feet and it began its descent over the Republic military staging grounds in the Senate District.

A massive military complex stretched out below him, numerous multi-kilometer long artificial canyons acting as berths and piers to the naval vessels which landed here to take on soldiers and supplies.

The forces gathering here tonight for his mission were few, most being off world or settled in for the night elsewhere onworld. Even the 501st, his personal legion of elite soldiers was not present in it's entirety. Most of it was far away on Mandalore…With Ahsoka.

That thought caused him to pause. Of all the people he had expected to meet on that world in the middle of a Warzone it was his former apprentice. What she had been doing there, amidst all that he had not had time to find out.

It was ironic that her willingness to assist him, leading his troops in his absence despite her changed status, might very well be her end…

He shook his head sharply at that. Ahsoka was irrelevant now. If she somehow survived the fighting it would likely fall to him or the very troops she was leading to deal with her. If she would not fall in line she would fall, like all the rest. Another bitter pill to swallow, another regret to carry. But carry it he would, it was worth it to keep them safe.

The rest of the legion was present at the staging grounds however, and it would be enough for the task at hand. Especially with him leading them.

The Jedi were powerful, and formidable there was no denying that fact if one was even the most remotely honest with themself. Few knew that fact as well as he did however, thanks to the lengths he'd gone to be the best of them. But he was strong now, stronger even than he'd ever been before. And the clones, were deadly in their own right, their discipline and implacability would serve them well in tonight's task.

They'd have the element of surprise on their side, and ultimately the backing of the entire Republic Military should they need it. Yes, it would be more than enough he assured himself, it had to be.

The gunship landed and a clone stepped up to meet him as he disembarked. Anyone who served with Clones for any amount of time learned to distinguish between them in short order despite their identical physical appearance. The easiest method of course was to look for the small personal touches they added to their armour or the tattoos they occasionally sported. Some like the one before him tended to be a little harder to identify. Preferring to forgo any such unique features, seeing them as unnecessary.

It was his stance which gave away this clone's identity as that of Captain Appo. Not a bad officer, just not as proficient as Anakin's usually favoured second, Captain Rex. The problem lay in Appo's inflexibility, the ability to adapt was critical on the battlefield and Appo lacked the aptitude for it that some clones cultivated.

"Captain," he greeted a touch tightly, his thoughts still elsewhere. "Is everyone present?"

The Clone didn't seem to notice his tone, or decided not to acknowledge it, instead snapping sharply to attention, "Yes Milord!" He barked firmly.

The Clone must have seen the questioning look Vader shot him, oblivious to the odd sensation which twisted in the former Jedi's stomach at the moniker. "The Chancellor informed us that we were to you and himself as such from now on sir."

Vader contemplated that, before nodding with a modicum of satisfaction, the title would do, it was appropriate giving his new status. It was tradition among the Sith if he recalled correctly, there was no harm in a little respect from the rank and file.

"Very good Captain," He paused eying the carefully ordered ranks of white and blue clad clone troopers. "You know our target? What is the plan of attack?"

The Clone nodded again releasing his salute and standing at parade rest. "Our target is the Jedi Temple Milord. We'll be going in via air transport. Utility of heavy armour will be limited, the Temple's structure is such that it does not have the space for the necessary maneuverability, we'll have to leave it behind."

Ani—Vader nodded, "I want the assault divided into two waves, the first will deploy by Delta transport and gunship onto the outer terraces," he ordered earning another deferential nod from the clone. "The second wave will come in with the remainder of our gunships once we've achieved surprise and lock down the Temple's other entrances and hangars. Do we have any details on our air cover?"

Appo indicated agreement. "The Coruscant guard is providing two wings of fighters and another flight of gunships sir."

"Good, some of the Jedi will no doubt try to run…" His superior mused. "I don't want them escaping if we can avoid it." He paused before rolling his shoulders to loosen up.

He only remained silent for a moment before, "We don't have an abundance of time right now. I want everyone mounted up and ready to go right away." He snapped of to the side, not waiting for Appo to relay his orders.

"Yes Milord." Appo acquiesced deferentially before turning to his men and starting to bark out their orders to them. Vader watched as the clones rapidly jumped to their assigned tasks and soon enough the first squads were marching up the ramps into the waiting transport or climbing into waiting gunships.

Try as he might he couldn't entirely excise his master's last command to him from his mind's conscious thoughts. A simple sentence but one which worried him greatly. "Wipe them out, all of them."

 _All of them_ …It was not just Jedi at the Temple. There were many civilian staff members and younglings as well. Could he really do it, could he really kill them all? Most of the Clones had boarded their transports before he found a somewhat palatable possibility.

Any that surrendered he'd deliver to his master to see to as he saw fit, any who stood would fall before him. But what if it wasn't enough? If he couldn't do this, would he be strong enough to save Padme?

He had no answers, not really, he'd need to see what happened. If that was really what was necessary, then so be it. He had no other choice, not if he wanted to save her. He'd do anything to save her. Anything…

* * *

Shaak Ti, stood on one of the many balconies overlooking the Temple's outer terraces and verandas. Jocasta Nu swept up to her near silently before speaking. "The Younglings are out of system now, along with the entire Holocron Archive, the most current backup of the main archives…and every artifact they could carry before the ship had to depart." The elder Jedi offered with a tone of mild satisfaction. While Jocasta would no doubt prefer that this was all in vain and that they could call the ship back, it was at least to her satisfaction that their preparations were set and the younglings safe should the worst be true.

The Togrutan Jedi Master nodded, sighing slightly in relief. "Excellent, how proceed the evacuations otherwise?"

"Well enough, the staff and about fifty percent of the others are already out and into the under city…" Jocasta decided after a moment's consideration.

She gave the older woman a pointed look. "And yourself, when will you be evacuating?"

The Librarian smiled wryly at her tone. "I'll be leaving as soon as they breach the Temple, no longer…"

The Council member gave the archivist a stern look. "Don't linger too long…no artifact is worth losing you." She admonished.

Jocasta made to smile, but it died on her lips as she spotted something and nodded towards the horizon. A large formation of Republic ships was quickly approaching the Temple. "So this is it then, it's really happening?" She murmured bitterly at the proof that her hopes this would pass peacefully were to die.

"So it would seem, yes." Shaak Ti agreed, stifling a great deal of anger at the Chancellor and a little at her own foolishness for not being among those to see through him.

The older Jedi sighed tiredly. "I'll get everyone who will go, out." She promised.

"Cin…here they come." Shaak Ti murmured into her com-link.

"Acknowledged," was the brief reply.

Cin Drallig and Coleman Kcaj had rallied the Temple's defenders and prepared many of the older defences which had not seen use in millennia, only recently receiving their long awaited refits. She hoped they would be enough, although whether it would be enough to repel the assault rather than simply making it a costly one for the enemy was looking increasingly unlikely.

A disturbing whisper brushed across her senses in the Force, a cold sensation that wasn't brought on by any cool night wind.

"I've sent out those packages the Grandmaster had you request to be prepared, I used the old channels just as recommended. I don't know how many received it in the end but it's been seen to that you can be sure of. A copy has also been uploaded to the starfighter reserved for you…and I also set the Temple emergency transmitter to warn all Jedi away, saw to the computers myself…" Jocasta noted with satisfaction.

"Good, I think it is time we leave." Shaak Ti murmured, stepping back from the parapet, "May the Force be with you archivist."

The old woman smirked. "And with you, with maybe some good luck thrown in as well…"

They parted company each hurrying off towards their next objectives. Shaak Ti noted with a sense of growing dread, as her elevator dropped towards the Temple's main floor, that the transports, mostly Pelta class frigates and LAAT gunships, were unloading masses of Clones onto the Temple's outer terraces.

Then, as the elevator car she was riding dropped into the building proper she could see no more and the reality of what was happening settled upon her. This was it. Whatever happened next, the galaxy would never be the same.

* * *

Vader focused on his mission as he marched, feet like lead towards the Temple's great doors and his final meeting with many he'd all but considered family. The rolling thunder of the lock-stepped march of rank upon rank of clone troopers filled his ears.

There was no turning back. This was for Padme and their children, he told himself over and over in his head. If he could save them this would all be worth it, and he'd be free of his reliance on his master…

But that would only occur If he could manage this one, terrible task. He felt his gut clench in fear at the doubts seeping into his thoughts. Anger roiled at the weakness that fear brought and he clenched his fist tightly .

Those fears reasserted their own grip on him when he crested the steps up onto the final terrace before the great doors, stepping into the shadows cast by the pillars before the massive entryway. The doors which in his experience were never closed even in the most inclement weather or in the face of the direst crisis were sealed shut, a single figure kneeling on the ground before them, hands upon their knees in meditative preparation.

He recognized the figure as the ranks slowed to a halt a dozen meters away from him. Cin Drallig, the chief of Temple security gazed at him steadily as he brought finger to the small communicator on his gauntleted hand. "It's Skywalker." He stated simply before releasing button and returning to staring him down.

"Master Drallig," Vader greeted tiredly. So… it seemed surprise was not to be on their side tonight. A shame, he supposed, it would make his task that much harder, and would draw out the suffering more than needs must given the circumstances. Things would have been much simpler, cleaner had the Jedi not sensed their coming, but even now they seemed determined to spite him and put Padme and the child in danger. "I no longer go by that name."

Drallig seemed more wearied than surprised. "No, if you're here now, at the enemy's behest I don't suppose you do. A Sith then is it? Tell me then… _Sith,_ what should I call you? What _title_ have you concocted for yourself?" the elder man asked eyes dark and steely.

"Vader, you may call me Jedi. Darth Vader." The fallen Jedi informed him, drawing his lightsaber's hilt from his belt.

"So…this is to be it then?" The Jedi asked rhetorically, pushing himself slowly but surely to his feet. "It is a shame. A great disappointment…Vader. We had such hopes for you. You had the potential to be the best of us." Drallig informed him.

"Obi-wan, Qui-gon, they never wanted this for you...nor did the rest of us"

Vader grimaced, hating the pang of guilt in his stomach, idly noting the way Appo murmured into his comm behind him calling for the reinforcements to move in early. "This is how it has to be Master Drallig, stand aside and I will let you live."

"I can't do that boy, and you know it. The Temple was not meant for Sith, and my brothers and sisters will not surrender it without a fight." The other man informed him shaking his head woefully.

"Then they and you will die." Vader declared the blade igniting in his grasp.

"We shall see."

Vader waited no longer, this talk merely wasted time and played into his enemy's hands. He needed to finish this he snarled mentally to himself, his anger growing at this stumbling block. He leapt, blade lashing out inhumanly quick to strike at his opponent.

But Master Drallig was fast, and his own lightsaber was ignited and up even before he was upon him. Azure and Viridian light crashed together in a thunderclap of sound.

* * *

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

Shaak Ti, felt a cold numbness settle over her as those last words from Drallig faded away. He'd been reporting a Jedi leading the enemy against them, a traitor…

"It's Skywalker," he'd said, before the line went dead.

Anakin, a Jedi and former friend, a champion now leading the enemy against them. A powerful foe, never to be underestimated even before this turn of events. Likely too powerful now if what she felt in the Force was to be believed It seemed they were shorter on time than she had realized, she reached for the Force and drew yet more speed into her gait.

It was not long before she entered the Prison Block, but that was when the Temple began to shake. A voice called out from one of the cells. "Hey, what was that? Did you guys feel that? I think the building's under attack again!" One of the imprisoned clones shouted.

"Do you think it's terrorists again? Why won't they let us out, we could help!" Another protested.

"Why do you think Knives? Because they think we're in on it!" The first shouted back.

"What? That's nuts!" The other, 'Knives' yelped.

Shaak Ti shook her head, she hated to think what learning all of this would do to the Clones, but that was not a matter she could handle right now. They were safe enough down here, and their compatriots would have these ones free and under the control of hardwired 'orders' soon enough.

The Togruta approached the entrance to the Asylum, which was still under the guard of two Temple guards. Even though it only had a lone occupant. "Get the rest of the Jedi and staff out, leave the prisoners, they'd just join their brethren." The guards nodded before hurrying to obey.

She keyed open the door and proceeded inside.

The Asylum, a seldom mentioned area of the Temple, was a suspended cell block surrounded by a small forest of trees. But it was not the trees that were special, despite how hard they were to transport and transplant safely, it was what lived in them.

Ysalamiri, strange creatures from a Force rich world. The Ysalamiri created a small bubble around themselves of null Force which neutralized the enhanced senses of their Force sensitive predators. *****

Here, within the confines of the cell suspended in the centre of the room, it made using the Force impossible. The perfect way to contain a Force sensitive prisoner.

The prison was currently configured with a single cell, with a single prisoner within. Barriss Offee, a thin Mirialan girl in her early twenties, sat on a meditation mat in the middle of the transparisteel walled room, staring out at her, from behind tired, inscrutable eyes.

Shaak Ti, to her surprise as much as Barriss' sat down in front of the cell, as though she too was preparing to meditate. Eventually Barriss spoke as the Temple gave another shudder. "What is happening?"

Barriss had committed terrible crimes, that was beyond dispute, and she was to pay for them, but there were matters to consider. First and foremost, at least in Shaak Ti's mind, was this: the dark side of the Force which had enthralled Barriss so was not some abstract concept of evil, or of selfish pride…It was an embodiment of the malice, cunning and evil that lived in the hearts of all sapient life… It had worked to twist the young Jedi, and while its influence did not in any way excuse her actions, it did add a certain context that would elicit a modicum of sympathy from all but the most hardened Jedi.

The dark side, was the one thing all Jedi feared, the one thing a Master would never tell you to not be afraid of. It was something which could worm its way into the most stalwart of the Republic's defenders and twist them into it's most bitter and implacable enemies. It was malevolence given form.

She remembered her own lesson on the matter at Yoda's knee, she'd claimed she was ready, that she was not afraid, he'd simply stared back at her with those unfathomably ancient eyes sadly. "You should be," He had said. At the time she had not understood just how right he was.

But while Barriss was not beyond all hope, she would never be Jedi again. No, never that, but she need not be the dark side's pawn again either. The healers, and psych evaluations of those who had seen and spoken with the young woman after her fall, had started out universally negative it was true. And while she was a long way from healed or even mentally stable, Barriss had been showing marked improvements in her attitude in the months of treatment she had been subjected to.

Where in the beginning healers had despaired for the young woman, in more recent reports they had openly voiced their hopes for a rehabilitation, of sorts.

"We are under attack…" Shaak Ti admitted, looking to gauge Barriss' reactions. Had this been the Barriss she'd seen on the day of her arrest. The young Mirialan likely would have railed and raged against her for being so blatantly obtuse.

Instead Barriss sighed wearily, brushing aside some of her long and roughly uncut hair, cocking an eyebrow at her, "Yes, I rather gathered that….by whom however? Is it another Separatist raid on the Capital?" She asked.

Shaak Ti was not surprised Barriss had heard of that, her counsellors and healers likely couldn't have helped but mention it to her.

"No…it seems I owe you something of an apology Barriss," Shaak Ti allowed. "You were _not_ right about the Jedi, but it seems something was indeed very wrong in this war, and we were too blind to see it."

Barriss looked curious but said nothing, Shaak Ti explained, "It seems the Chancellor is the Sith Lord we were looking for. He orchestrated this war from the beginning, and now he seeks to destroy us…"

Barriss took that in before seeming to age before her eyes, visibly wilting. "You will never owe me an apology Master Ti, not after everything that I did. I was in pain, and scared…and I turned my fear against those who I should have trusted."

Shaak Ti nodded, and idly noted another tremble in the building which set the animals clinging to the trees chattering as the fighting was drew closer. "The Clones are storming the Temple now it would seem. We evacuated as many as we could, but it is only a matter of time before they reach this area…"

"And you cannot risk me falling into the hands of the Sith." She finished easily, visibly preparing herself.

"It is alright Master Ti, I understand, I do not fear death as I once did…"

To say the Togrutan Jedi was disturbed by that statement would be an understatement. To see someone, even one so defeated and broken as Barriss, so resigned to thought of death? Not the least because it had not been her intent in this case. "No, you misunderstand me Barriss, I am not here to kill you, I am here to get you out. Provided you agree to come along quietly. Your word of honour if you will."

The young Mirialan considered, seeming hesitant. "I am still not myself Master Ti, I doubt I ever will be again…perhaps you would be better served to—"

The Master Jedi cut her off, "I am aware of that Barriss, but I also know you are no longer the person who attacked the Jedi a year ago either."

Barriss was silent for a time before another explosion shook the building, and she sighed. "Very well, you have my word I'll come quietly. But I cannot see this ending any other way but in tears."

"Good," Shaak Ti said, relieved she would not be forced to slay the girl. "Stand back please, we do not have the required Council members to release you normally."

She nodded and stepped back, as the Jedi Master pulled her Lightsaber and ignited it.

* * *

Vader was afraid, a state he hated more than just about anything. The battle for the Jedi Temple was not progressing according to plan. He had joined battle with Master Drallig, expecting to cut the fool down quickly and force his way into the Temple in short order after wards.

He had underestimated the old Jedi. Not only was he a more competent fighter than Vader had ever given him credit, Drallig had been far from alone. Dozens of Jedi Temple Guards and more mundane security personnel led by Master Kcaj had engaged the clones while Vader fought with the aged Security Master.

The effect of the organized resistance on the ambushed clones had been devastating enough on it's own, the Clones taking horrendous casualties before driving the defenders back. Captain Appo had been slain in the first sally by Master Kcaj and command and control had suffered because of it until the chain of command had reasserted itself.

Despite the eventual deaths of Kcaj and Drallig, they had not been able to capitalize on the Temple defender's retreat as the Temple's automated defences had chosen that exact time to activate and assail the attacking army with concealed anti-infantry turrets, anti-aircraft guns and swarms of war-droids much more formidable than most of those makes and models used by the Trade Federation and other Separatist forces.

He'd known the Temple had defences of its own, but had never been truly filled in on the details. A fact that chafed the Sith Lord harshly. To the Sith's eyes it was proof that the Jedi had never truly trusted him, never valued his support, and his mind could only imagine the other things they had concealed from their supposed 'champion'.

They'd been forced to call in the reinforcements early and even ask for additional forces from the Coruscant Guard.

Despite these reinforcements handily overwhelming the automated defences upon arrival, his mission was in jeopardy. The Clone forces had suffered heavy casualties and holes had been cut in their air cover by those blasted AA guns.

If the Jedi escaped…What would become of his bargain with Palpatine, what would happen to Padme? He needed to tighten his grip of the situation and _now_.

"Commander Fox, I need you to dispatch additional formations to cover the Temple's undercity supply entrances. We can't let the Jedi escape." He said over his holo-communicator to the Guard Commander before switching his attention to more immediate matters. "Flight 3-2 Aurek," He called signalling a pair of nearby gunships. "Open the doors."

He almost exalted in the feel of the wind and heat that washed over him as the gunships unloaded a full salvo of missiles into the great doors of the Temple, shattering them and causing explosions to erupt within the Temple beyond.

Had he not been so focused on what was happening before him, he might have noticed what was going on over his head. In the chaos surrounding his grand entrance he failed to notice a shadowy starship sweeping low over the temple's roof, slowing to deposit a pair of shadowy figures on the battlements before swinging away into the Coruscant night.

* * *

The Temple was in chaos, matters within were rapidly deteriorating as more and more clones poured in through various breaches which had been punched in the defences. Shaak Ti and Barriss Offee could see and hear signs of battle everywhere they went as they hurried their way through the halls towards their destination. One of the Temple hangars where Shaak's ship hopefully still waited them in readiness.

It was only as they crossed one of the upper promenades en route to the hangars, that a group of Clones finally crossed their path. "Look, more Jedi! Blast them," the unit's sergeant ordered bringing his rifle to bear.

Barriss cringed, unarmed and thanks to her stun cuffs still unable to reach for the Force. Shaak Ti reached out and before any fire could come against them, gripped the wayward clones with the Force and then hurling them hard against the wall. It was an attack intended to incapacitate rather than kill, but she knew that with such force there was always a risk she'd slain one of them anyways.

One clone struggled to rise before slumping with a groan, ignored by the fleeing Jedi. Shaak Ti and Barriss pushing on towards freedom once certain none of the Clones were going to start firing at them the moment the pair turned their backs. They made their way further through the Temple for a time without further interruption, in fact they'd nearly reached the nearest Hangars, making it to the Temple planetarium when Shaak pulled them to a stop. A cold feeling rippling across her senses in the Force, and the whispers of what was to come slithering into her thoughts. She could not run and escape she knew. The Force told her as much, but Barriss…

She turned to the young Mirialan. "Go, a fighter waits just ahead. I will catch up if I can, if not…" No more need be said. Barriss hesitated before nodding slowly. She took off at a run for the Hangar, as Shaak Ti turned back and pulled her lightsaber from her belt, igniting it once again.

The Togruntan Jedi had to admit, the two who stepped into the hallway through the door across from her were not whom she had expected. From the toxic echoes in the Force she had assumed Skywalker had found her. These two however…

A pair of black-armoured figures, Force sensitives from the feel of them, paced towards her leisurely.

"Ah look brother, a Jedi Master, Shaak Ti if I'm not mistaken…" The first, a female murmured mockingly. "I've been hoping to test my mettle against a real challenge for some time…"

The other, a male possibly, merely grunted but malice emanated from them both equally nevertheless. Exchanging no further words the pair charged her, lightsabers igniting. The male carrying a double blade, the female a single. Both crimson. They leapt at her in tandem and she had to work hard to keep both of them from striking at her at the same time.

They were fast, whomever they were and surprisingly well trained; apparently the Chancellor had more tools at his disposal ****** than the Jedi had realized if these two were here. Nevertheless they seemed to lack the discipline to keep working together for long, and soon struck as whim dictated instead of as part of any cohesive strategy. Had they done so they likely would have overwhelmed her, tiring her out as one covered for the other, instead she managed to keep ahead of these two strangers, if only barely.

Sometimes by duelling at length and parrying with her blade. Other times by hurling chunks of debris from the increasingly damaged planetarium at them with the Force, or simply evading their clumsy efforts as they left openings where they should have been covering each other. Shaak Ti fought for her life with all her considerable skill and experience and it was just enough to keep her alive.

Still she was unable to truly gain the advantage long enough to disable or slay one of them, as they were unable to break through her own defenses, the stalemate equal on both sides. Finally once again the combatants were forced into drawing apart, they on one side, her on the other. The respite was brief the pair tensing in preparation to once again leap at her, when an explosion rocked large chamber where they duelled, throwing smoke and fire between them and showering the area with debris.

Shaak Ti had expected to see a clone gunship or starfighter laying down fire into the Temple, instead she was quite surprised when the male, still visible through the smoke was cut down by a stream of weapons fire. The female staggered back narrowly avoiding a second blast and took to her heels as the fighter eased slowly through the widening breach it had created allowing Shaak Ti to get a good look at it.

It was Barriss, flying the fighter she'd sent her to collect. The hatch on it's flank popping open and Barriss jerked her head pointedly at the seat beside her, before loosing some more bolts down the wide hall at something Shaak couldn't see through the wall of smoke and soot thrown up by the general destruction.

Shaak Ti didn't need to be told twice. Using the Force she propelled herself up and into the craft before slipping into the seat beside the Mirialan as the hatch closed behind her.

The Starfighter eased back out of the gap, before turn to streak off low across the Temple grounds and then down over the city. Barriss, looking rather pale, explained their course. "There's already a ton of enemy Forces closing on the Temple, they're letting out swarms of interceptors, we will need to hurry if we want to get past the air cordon make orbit in time to escape."

"Thank you Barriss, I do not know what would have happened had you not…" Shaak Ti began.

"Don't," Barriss snapped before reining herself in. "I just—you're giving me a chance, it didn't feel right to leave you okay?" Barriss explained sounding tired.

Shaak Ti accepted that silently, but she knew that as confused as the Mirialan no doubt was, there had likely been more to it than that. Still she sensed no deceit or ill will from the young woman so she let it go.

It took time and a great deal of effort, but they finally found a clear path into Orbit. From there they managed to slip into an empty hyperspace lane and jump away. Shaak Ti merely hoped others would escape so easily.

* * *

Former Jedi Temple

Council Chamber

Coruscant.

Anakin… _Darth Vader_ , surveyed the ruination around him in frustration. Despite laying the Jedi Temple itself low, his victory was ringing somewhat hollow to him now.

He'd achieved some of his master's objectives true enough. He'd seized the Temple yes, and slain many Jedi personally. And as promised he felt his strength swell with each act, felt his reserves deepen with each Jedi he slew. But the Temple's emergency beacon was still active despite his efforts, still broadcasting to the Jedi across the Galaxy loud and clear to stay away at all costs...Probably because the beacon itself was in a reinforced communications bunker in the Temple's interior and the interface within the security offices had been sabotaged by someone with a lightsaber and a sense of thoroughness he couldn't help but grudgingly admire.

He was upset, most of all because his partial failure in his task to destroy the Jedi, endangered his plans to save Padme…

Vader had reported his failure, albeit grudgingly, to Palpatine. To his relief the man had seemed dismissive of the setback. The Clones were reporting many successes from across the Galaxy he had been informed. The Jedi, whom he had once sworn on his life to serve, had been all but destroyed…

They would see to rooting out and eliminating any survivors at a later time. As would his new Master's pets like those who had apparently run afoul of Master Ti. He wasn't sure how to feel knowing about Palpatine had additional servants, but that was for later consideration.

For now he had a new purpose, one his Master assured him he would enjoy greatly. He was willing to believe the man in this case… as his next mission was to take him to Mustafar, where he was to personally deal with the remaining Separatist leadership.

But first—he needed to see Padme…that would make all of this worth it. Nothing else mattered so long as he could still do that.

* * *

Cantham House

Senate District

Coruscant

Bail Organa Senator for Alderaan, stood in the window of his personal office at the Alderaanian consulate on Coruscant. In the distance, bright against the dark backdrop of night, he could see the flames climb higher on the Jedi Temple.

He had actually tried to go there himself that night, hoping to investigate and maybe lend aid to his friends in the Jedi Order. However he had been stopped and turned back by an ever growing aerial cordon around the building's perimeter.

And so, reluctantly, he'd returned home, still concerned for his friends among the Jedi. It had been here, upon his return to the consulate that he had found a message waiting for him.

It was a small and heavily encrypted date packet device, which bore the marks of having been carefully gone over by the Alderaanian intelligence agency. Apparently, not half an hour before, a Jedi Padawan had hand delivered it to their office's main desk for his care, before vanishing again without a trace.

Now, as he stood pondering the burning temple in the distance he understood why. They had been betrayed. The Jedi, the Republic…even those Clones now blindly carrying out their orders in a strange way…

Betrayed by the Supreme Chancellor. The data was there in the packet. All the evidence the Jedi had collected and their latest conclusions as of an hour before the attack on the temple. Their concerns and the fact Mace Windu had left to ensure Chancellor Palpatine stepped down after the defeat of General Grievous…As well as the investigation date into the clone bio-chips and their latest suspicions regarding a cover-up.

And finally, a code. Which upon input into his private terminal had linked him into the Jedi Temple's security camera network, and allowed him to see Skywalker leading the Clones against his former comrades…

He knew what all this likely meant of course…But he needed to be sure. He reached out blindly to tap the communicator's uplink. "Senator Garm Bel Iblis' Office, notification level most urgent, Senator Bail Prestor Organa…." He intoned dully.

The comm. unit rang just once before it was picked up. "Bail…judging by the fact you're calling me at this time of night, and the fact I too can see the flames from my office, I'm guessing you got a data packet from our friends at the Order too?"

Bail's eyes sharpened somewhat as he turned to consider the communicator, even though no holo projection was present. "Yes, who else has received one?"

"Myself, Mon Mothma who is here with me and…I'd assume Amidala as well, but I've had no luck reaching her. I've also got a waiting call from the Senator from Kuat…" The senator from Corellia noted.

Bail sighed, shaking his his head worriedly. "Garm, if this data is accurate—"

"It is…" The senator on the other end paused a moment, "Well, at least by what my people have been able to confirm thus far, it is." He admitted sounding a touch embarrassed about getting ahead of himself. "And besides, you've seen the feeds, I'm watching them right now…" Garm sounded sick to his stomach.

"I just had to watch a clone platoon execute a Jedi and his padawan who were cornered in the lower levels of the temple…" Bail winced closing his eyes in grief for a moment at that.

"Are there any signs that any made it out?" He asked.

"Beyond the people delivering these data packets? No, not really…" Garm admitted.

"It may interest you gentlemen to know that my sources tell me that the entire Coruscant Guard has just been ordered into the under city…" Came the feminine voice of Mon Mothma over the communicator.

"Is there anything we can do?" Bail asked.

He could practically see Garm shaking his head. "Not much. If they approach us personally in secret maybe we can help a few get out…Otherwise it's down to them to escape on their own."

"What would you two recommend?" Mon Mothma asked.

Bail considered that. "It was announced in the news earlier today that General Grievous was believed killed on Utapau, though the details were sketchy…" He frowned. "If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on 'Our esteemed leader' making his next move when he announces the end of the war in a day or two…We all know that without him, the Separatist movement is entirely without cohesive leadership."

A harsh barking laugh sounded over the comm. "Well, it just so happens I am a betting man." Garm noted dryly. "And I would put my credits on that too."

"When he does so, I would be willing to wager that we will get a good idea just how many Senators have received similar packages." Mon Mothma noted, sounding mildly amused by Garm's tone.

"Assuming they keep it to themselves until then…" Garm noted.

"And if they don't?" Bail asked, hoping for a theory on the Chancellors next move.

Again he could almost see Garm shrugging. "I doubt he will change his approach over much. However we should be cautious, he will likely have safeguards in place to ensure the Senate's compliance with whatever comes next…"

"Would we be better served then, to get off world in the mean time?" The senator from Chandrilla asked.

"No, to do so would tip our hands early and all but signal our confirmed opposition." Gary noted darkly. "However—"

The others waited patiently for him to finish his thought. "We can prepare our worlds for what is to come regardless." He eventually mused. "Standing our militaries to, could easily be covered as preparations for victory celebrations…"

There was a delicate sound of scorn from Mon Mothma. "Easier said than done. It is well known that Corellia did not support the war…Chandrilla and Alderaan weren't much better." She grumbled.

Again that almost visible shrug. "Then we'll need to do our best to be subtle about it, besides there's not much we can truly manage in two days…"

"True enough…How is Arrianya handling this?" Bail asked delicately, it was well known Garm's wife was a staunch supporter of the Chancellor.

Garm sighed. "I haven't showed her yet…Look, I'll worry about that okay? My advice to you two would be to do what you can in regards to your militaries. I'll see to my system and…wife as best I can." He huffed a sigh. "Now, I really should speak to Senator Danu." He said a touch wearily, referring to the dour Senator from Kuat.

Bail nodded, "We'll speak later, good luck you two, call if you need anything."

"Of course," Mon Mothma agreed.

"And you as well." Garm hurried to follow up before the line cut.

Bail stood for a good ten minutes considering the contents of that discussion, and pondering his next course of action, before finally connecting himself through to Alderaan's Royal Palace back on his homeworld.

The pause before it was picked up was longer this time. When it was finally picked up whatever the person on the other end was about to say was cut off by a yawn. "Goodness…" The feminine voice groaned tiredly. "Bail…my word, look at the time, what are you doing calling so late?"

He smiled slightly to himself at the sound of his wife's voice. "Breha…" He started, before trailing off, uncertain where to begin.

"What's wrong dear, you sound upset?" The Queen of Alderaan asked sounding somewhat more alert.

He smiled sadly to himself. "That is because I am…Something bad is happening darling. Something awful, and it's likely about to become very dangerous here in the capital."

"What is happening, what's wrong?" She asked sounding more awake all the time.

A grimace, before he spoke. "Not over an open channel, I risked much already tonight by speaking with another Senator about this…" He tried to find the word and found he was struggling. "Darling…no. I need to speak to you as your Senator and your Viceroy right now, not as your husband."

There was a pause on the other end, "Very well, Senator Organa, what is it you wish to speak about?" She asked formally, he could practically see the mask she created when speaking with most politicians fall into place. The implacable and unreadable Queen of Alderaan.

"My Queen Breha, your Royal Majesty. It is my considered opinion, with great regret, despite your and my own reservations in matters pertaining to militancy, that I recommend most strongly, that Alderaan stand what military forces it has, to. Further that the reserves be activated and that preparations be made for a major recruitment drive." He said solemnly.

The pause on the end was long. He could tell he'd surprised his wife greatly. "I trust the reason for this change in stance, and your recommendation will become apparent soon?" She asked a touch stiffly.

"Yes, I expect it to be so within a day or two at most…" He agreed.

The pause stretched just as long this time. "Very well…Senator. I respect your opinion as both my Senator and my Viceroy. As such, I will see to it that this matter is carried out as recommended." She said formally, and he sighed in relief.

Her tone softened. "Is there anything else Bail?"

He shook his head, even though he knew she couldn't see it. "No, I'll try to keep in contact." He assured her.

"Be careful," was her firm instruction.

"I will." He promised.

They said their goodbyes and severed the connection, Bail slowly turning back to look out the window, continuing to watch the temple burn. Unable to escape the feeling he just might be watching the Republic burn with it.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So I think I figured out what's been slowing me down on some of my writing, hopefully I'll be able to fix that over the next few weeks. Otherwise…

*I decided to include the Ysalamiri earlier in Star Wars canon. Apparently the planet they live on was indeed known and explored by this time. So...yeah. Creative license.

** I am aware that no Inquisitors had been encountered by the Jedi prior to the Jedi purges, however I felt it likely that the Chancellor might have one or two dark force adepts in his arsenal beyond those we are already familiar with by that point. The man had plans within plans. He'd be bound to have backups.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long interval between updates. This story is not dead, real life just got in the way...again. I will do my best to resume updating at more regular intervals. I am aware of concerns that this story possesses similarities to Sword and Magic and Last Second Savior. I am keeping that concern in mind as I go forward and will do what I can to mitigate it. Otherwise? This chapter covers the first half of the first day's fallout following the events with the Time Turner. It would have covered all of it, but it would have been twice as long and taken a corresponding amount of time to update as a result. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

It had been a while since Harry had woken up to the sensation of someone in his arms. Thus in his sleep befuddled state he was somewhat confused to find himself in the position of holding a warm, clearly female form against his chest.

Harry lay there silently for a time, wherever he was, trying to figure out what had happened. He was virtually certain it wasn't Ginny again, whoever it was wasn't boney enough for that. Whoever was in his arms now was warmer and softer than Ginny and filled his arms more comfortably…But that didn't make sense! The only woman he had fallen asleep with before was his former girlfriend.

His attempts at bludgeoning his brain into providing an answer were thus far proving unsuccessful. It giving him the mental equivalent of "Need coffee, please hold." Thus he decided to venture actually looking. The small, but growing, more conscious part of his brain was telling him to his relief that whomever it was at least appeared to be clothed - so that was something.

He cracked open an eyelid to peer cautiously at the source of the confusion, finding a familiar mop of wild brown hair and a peacefully sleeping face he knew almost as well as his own. Hermione.

He wasn't sure what it was, but something about this finally kick started his mind into slowly turning over the events of the night before. After getting Aayla settled in bed for the evening they had stayed up late sitting in the living room and simply going over everything they had encountered while Hermione took notes and filled out the first pages of her field journal.

Needless to say there was a lot to write down, and it took until well after dark before they got down the basics, let alone any theories and conjectures. Harry had taken the opportunity while Hermione had finished copying everything down to venture outside and reapply the disillusionment charms to the ship so that it'd remain invisible until they could get around to adjusting the wards to cover it.

He had just been finishing up that particular task when Hermione had padded out beside him to stare up at the night sky. "It's so different." She noted quietly, nodding up at the stars. He'd hummed agreement. "Guess we really are a long way away if the stars are notably different." Hermione paused, shivering a bit in the cold and stamping a bit of warmth back into her feet.

"Maybe too far, I tried the mirror a minute ago, just in case you know?" She murmured frowning somewhat until he turned to regard her curiously. "No connection. I don't know how far away we'd have to be to expend the enchantments energy for reaching a linked mirror, but it's far enough…"

He nodded. "Could try a Patronus I suppose, but something tells me that it won't have much more luck."

Sure enough a minute later and they'd confirmed that theory, Prongs having appeared briefly, seeming confused and then fading away again, message undelivered.

They had stayed like that, staring up at the stars a while longer, before Harry escorted his friend back into the tent.

They had stayed up a while longer after that discussing at times, such things as what supplies they had available; which was more than what Hermione anticipated. Harry admitted to himself that he'd gone more than a bit overboard in preparing for their expedition. Something which actually worked in their favour this time. It had been Hermione who'd noticed somewhat ironically that they always seemed to find trouble.

At that point they'd found themselves sprawled out on the couch together, Hermione leaning companionably against her friend. They had talked awhile about the Wandering Star and the Navigator as each grew increasingly drowsy, but in their diminished states neither had been able to come up with any half rational theories. Eventually they simply fell asleep together there on the couch.

Should he feel guilty? Harry wondered. Specifically that he found the feeling of Hermione nestled into him more comfortable than that of holding his old girlfriend? Some small, not entirely rational part of him was scathingly rebuking him for enjoying the sensation so much.

A bit of motion drew his attention away from the woman in his arms and over to the other occupants of the room. Crooks was still asleep it seemed, having claimed the entire recliner for himself. Somehow the thing had ended up actually reclined in the process…

Juno however was not in the realm of morpheus. She was up and stretching languidly while yawning in a most impressive fashion before shaking herself out and straightening up, looking to Harry briefly before chuffing in satisfaction. After a moment she set topacing across the room towards the entrance to the hall leading to the bathroom and bedroom.

Some other part of Harry speculated that it might have been advisable to stop the Border Collie before she accosted Aayla...again.

This reflection took too long however as a few moments later there was a piercing girlish shriek echoing through the tent. Hermione jerking awake at the sudden cacophony of alien cursing before peering up blearily at whomever it was that held her in confusion.

"Sorry Mione. Looks like Juno decided to go and wake up Aayla." He murmured, and she chuckled in amusement as she immediately grasped his meaning before stopping when her position finally sunk in and she pinked endearingly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Harry," She croaked tiredly, her vocal cords still largely asleep pushing herself upright.

"It's alright, I didn't mind." He mumbled smiling slightly, before looking away a bit abashed himself, rubbing the back of his head absently. They shifted a bit until they were both comfortably seated apart from one another.

Hermione looked prepared to offer another apology however until Aayla stalked into the room, followed closely by a happily trotting dog. The Alien woman was clearly less than enthused with her wake up call judging by the way she was scrubbing roughly at her face. She rolled to a stop as Juno trotted ahead of her and came to a halt sitting in front of her, tail wagging excitedly.

The Twi'lek pointed at the dog accusingly for a moment, her mouth opening and closing in silent outrage, only getting a quizzical look from the dog before it resumed its self-satisfied panting.

Finally her attention centred on Harry and Hermione and she threw her arms in the air. "You! Your….beast woke me up again by licking my face!"

Harry chuckled nodding sagely in agreement. "Yes, she does that sometimes. I'd take it as a compliment, it means she likes you."

Aayla considered that for a time, eyes still flashing incredulously before she sighed, sagging somewhat and rolling her shoulders. "Well I'm up now I guess, better get started on things." She muttered apparently to herself, before turning her eyes to the two disheveled humans. "Do you have anywhere I can do my morning exercises?"

Harry considered that, absently noting Hermione standing up and stretching before turning his attention back to Aayla. "You could probably use the cave I suppose, do you mind if we see about expanding the wards first? If it hasn't fallen already, the disillusionments on the ship should be ready to come down soon."

Aayla nodded thoughtfully, clearly pondering something about that. Until Hermione finished stretching. "I'll handle that, just give me a couple minutes," his friend stated simply, sounding more herself now as she padded over to grab up her bag of supplies.

She made it as far as the door before she paused and looked to Aayla. "Might as well come along, it'll only take a minute to adjust and reposition the ward stones." She stated and the blue warrior woman trotted over to join her before they both paced out of the tent.

Harry finally got around to getting up onto his feet at that point, seeing no reason to lounge on the couch any longer than he already had. He tentatively checked over his state of dress and cleanliness and found it a touch wanting. This necessitated a quick scourgify spell and oral hygiene charm to make him feel half human until he could get around to doing a proper cleanup. It wasn't a shower and a proper brush, but it'd hold him until he felt up to either of them.

In the meantime, he could get started on breakfast he supposed. After the day they'd all experienced previous, he reckoned everyone would appreciate a proper meal.

So he was in the process of grabbing and organizing all his cooking supplies when Hermione padded back into the tent, yawning slightly behind a cupped hand. "If you don't mind Harry, I'm going to go take a shower so I can feel half human again. See you in a few minutes?" She asked before receiving a small acknowledgement and leaving the room.

Cooking with Juno and Crooks around was something he'd long ago grown accustomed to, and now as he worked he was able to largely ignore the imploring or demanding looks the animals were sending his way while he worked by the stove. Mostly…

It was just as he was finishing serving up the meals onto plates and placing them under enchanted warmers that Hermione finally returned, in new, less rumpled clothes, and with still damp hair hanging to her shoulders. She looked good he decided, before distracting himself again at the small pang of guilt which flared at that observation, using his wand to direct the rest of the table settings into their places in the tents small dining space.

"Think we should go check on Aayla now?" He suggested, as the last cutlery fell into place and he started washing his hands in the sink.

"Should probably keep our distance if we do…" Hermione mused as he towelled off, "She looked like she was going to do some drills with those swords of hers when I left."

Harry snorted in amusement. "Yeah, don't want to lose any limbs, that might put a real crimp in our lifestyles." He remarked sardonically to her, earning a small smile in return.

They actually heard her before they saw her, moved away from the tent as she was in her exercises. Out on the battlefield the sound of her lightsabers had been lost amongst the shriek of blaster fire, the thunderous boom of cannons and the screams of the wounded. Here however they could hear and practically feel the electric reverberating hum of the swords as they moved.

When their eyes did finally fall on the Jedi Knight, both of the humans came to a momentary stop, caught somewhat unprepared for what they were seeing.

They had seen her fight before, out on the battlefield, but that had been at a greater distance and despite the fact she'd been fighting for her life at the time, the swift dance she was engaged in now seemed far faster than that which they'd witnessed before.

It was…unearthly, in a very literal sense, just how fast she moved. Just how gracefully she acted whilst rapidly cutting, slashing and even leaping her way through her exercises. Creating a strange almost hypnotic vortex of green and blue light around herself as the blades swung about her.

It was only a minute later when she finally slowed to a stop, that they regained themselves somewhat and paced a few steps closer. Aayla paced a moment, shaking some stiffness out of her shoulders and nodding to them in acknowledgement before settling into another stance.

If the last set she'd worked on was fast, the next was lightning quick and Harry found himself having to shake his head a bit in awe. If she could move like this while still working off the aftermath of her injuries he couldn't imagine how it was to watch her at her peak.

Despite her exertions she didn't even seem to be winded. Her movements seemingly unimpaired by the remnants of the attack which had been perpetrated on her not so long ago.

This was actually a bit of a relief to Harry in some ways, he had been concerned that exerting herself in such a way might aggravate her injuries, but had refrained from urging caution. He had a feeling that Aayla needed this, to get herself properly sorted out up there in her blue tentacled head. And he had to admit it seemed to have worked, as she finally wound down through the last of her exercise she appeared to be much more focused and even keeled.

He could understand that, he was similar, it always felt better to be doing something. Rather than sitting and wallowing in your problems.

As the last motions of her practices ended and those blades disappeared with a hiss, Aayla straightened and smiled at the. "Thank you for keeping your distance, the blades were not set to kill but you could have been injured had you ventured too close."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head ruefully, drawing the eyes of both women. "I hate to sound like Weasley Hermione, but let me just say it—bloody hell!"

Hermione's expression pinched and she made a face drawing a curious look from Aayla. "I hate to say it but he's right. That was amazing to watch Jedi Secura!"  
"Aayla is fine Hermione, I'm pleased you enjoyed watching," the Jedi in question demurred.

Hermione looked amused at her apparent humility. "I've watched master martial artists before, but I have to say you blow them all away!" She declared enthusiastically.

Harry chuckled at his friend's demeanour, but nodded agreement. "She's right, you're much faster and more agile than they are."

"I think I have an idea already but I take it 'martial artists' are experts in combat on your world?" Aayla asked wryly appearing a bit deeper shade of blue than before.

The young human male nodded shortly. "Pretty much, generally it refers to those who master a specific hand-to-hand or melee weapon technique…" He explained, starting to ponder what he knew of Aayla and her abilities as a Jedi.

While definitely very different from those of a witch or wizard, Aayla's abilities we undeniably very dangerous in their own right. Inhuman speed, agility and flexibility from the looks of things. Perhaps strength as well? He'd just about bet that her senses were better than average too if she keep track of everything whilst working through such maneuvers. That was just what he knew about so far. He definitely didn't want to end up on the wrong end of her blades.

A thought occurred to him and he inclined his chin at her slightly. "I'm just curious, are there additional fighting styles or different 'light weapons' Jedi fight with?" He asked.

It could have been his imagination but the alien woman seemed impressed. "Actually yes, you'd be surprised how many people don't even consider the possibility." She explained. "There are seven main fighting styles we refer to as 'forms', though they each come with several derivatives and each Jedi's style is slightly different on top of that. And there are a large number of 'light weapons' as you called them."

She began ticking them off on her fingers, "For example there are light claymores and light cudgels though those are basically a wide bladed lightsaber. But there are also light whips, lightsaber pikes and double bladed saberstaffs as well."

"Why don't many people think of it?" Hermione asked curiously from beside Harry.

Aayla smiled in amusement. "There is a very specific vision of the Jedi the media sought to proliferate for various reasons. Typically they're male, middle aged and wise looking, human or a derivative species and utilizing a single blue or green blade."

Hermione seemed to consider that nodding. "So it's a case of stereotypes then? Interesting, I'm just curious, are humans very common out here? You mentioned they're generally part of the stereotype…"

"Humans are basically ubiquitous throughout the Galaxy." Aayla agreed. "Easily the most populous making up about a quarter to a solid third of the overall population judging by most places I've visited, though that number could be wrong."

Harry could guess why that intrigued his friend, people on Earth hadn't really considered that there might be other humans out there. Still he decided it was best to get back on course. "Still, regardless of all that it was impressive watching you earlier. You can move like greased lightning when you want to."

That drew an amused smirk from both of his companions, but it was Aayla who commented. "That's a new one, I'll have to remember it." She snickered.

Harry was glad her mood had improved, Aayla was fun to be around when she was like this. "Look why don't we take this inside, I prepared some breakfast for everyone."

It was almost comical the way Aayla perked up, before appearing embarrassed at own enthusiasm. Collecting her dignity Aayla smiled ruefully at their amused looks. "That would be wonderful thank you."

* * *

As they made their way back inside the tent, Aayla's nose was met by the tantalizing scent of cooked meats, and the savoury smells of other dishes.

Not wanting to presume her place in the tent, she allowed Hermione to guide the way into the kitchen and happily took a seat at the simple wooden table, coming up short when she noticed the small orange creature with the squashy disgruntled features was seated at the head of the table while the slobber mon — Juno, was seated patiently on her haunches next to the table.

Aayla shot the humans a questioning look and indicated the beast in the chair. "Oh, don't mind Crookshanks. Cats have very definite views of their place in the world, and Crooks is smarter than most." Hermione noted absently as Harry returned with a number of covered plates which he began dispensing around the table.

Aayla considered the food which appeared before her with interest as the covers were taken away. Whatever it was wasn't completely alien in appearance, but nor was it entirely familiar.

There were long thin slightly blackened strips of a largely red and pink meat piled at one end of the plate, a modest pile of yellow/white squishy looking chunks and another pile of small pale brown cuboids. It all smelled delicious though, whatever it was.

She then turned her attention hopefully towards the utensils arrayed beside the plate and was gratified to see that they appeared very familiar indeed though the forks seemed to possess an extra tine compared to what she was used to.

"It all smells good; may I ask what everything is?" She asked politely prodding the yellow/white material which jiggled delightfully.

Hermione pointed to each in turn. "The meat is called bacon, which is the salted and cooked product of an animal we cultivate as a food staple. The yellow stuff is cooked and scrambled unfertilized eggs from an avian we raise for the same purpose, and the little cubes are hash browns which are diced and cooked tubers called potatoes."

Aayla was pleased, though the preparation was a little different from what she was used to it was all relatively common fare. She came up short of starting in on the meal at a concerned expression which crossed Harry's face. "Sorry, I just realized, I should have asked this before, but is it safe for you to eat human food?"

The Twi'lek nodded agreeably. "I can, and I've also had numerous nano-therapy infusions throughout my years to ensure I didn't develop any allergies."

Hermione seemed intrigued by that, "Nano-therapies? Would that be microscopic machines then?"

Aayla bobbed her head in assent as she took her first bite of bacon and began chewing happily. Hermione seemed satisfied with that answer for the moment and made a small note in a little book before returning to her own meal.

She was about halfway through her meal before it occurred to her she really should remember her manners. "This is really good Harry, you're an excellent cook it seems." She informed him earnestly.

Hermione nodded agreement and spoke after she swallowed, "It really is good Harry, I've always enjoyed your meals." She complimented before returning to her meal. Harry blushed slightly at the compliments directed to him and mumbled an inarticulate reply before looking down at his own meal.

It was interesting Aayla decided as they ate on in silence. The food was good and somewhat familiar, but also undeniably alien as well. She's eaten eggs, meat and tubers before, but never quite like this. It was an odd reflection of the humans who had made it.

The pair across from her were familiar in a way only humans, as the most numerous species in the galaxy, could be. And yet they were really very strange as well.

An impression not helped by the fact she truly did not know all that much about them as people. She knew they were human, and that they were Force users. She also knew their abilities were incredibly versatile and that they seemed, at least for the moment, to be friendly and mean her no harm. This really was a less than ideal state of affairs and she decided it was about time they corrected that.

"You know, I was wondering, just where exactly are you two from?" She asked casually, "What part of the Galaxy I mean?"

If she were to take a guess from the little she knew, such as their apparent unfamiliarity with Twi'Leks, the Republic or Jedi, that it was likely somewhere in the Unknown Regions or deep in Wild Space.

She noted with interest the wry look which passed between the two humans before Harry shrugged. "No idea. I couldn't tell you where our planet is located in reference to here." He admitted, earning a small sound of amusement from Hermione.

The brunette patted his arm fondly. "In fairness to Harry part of that has to do with the fact our courses in Astronomy back at school were absolutely horrendous. Then again, I'm afraid I can't give a much more satisfactory answer myself. I don't know precisely where it is in comparison to here either."

Aayla raised a brow at them in consternation. "No offense, but how is it that a pair of…explorers? Cannot know where their home is? How did you arrive here on Felucia?" She asked, vaguely realizing that Harry had seemed largely...unfamiliar with starships judging by his earlier reaction to the Venators and the Charger they…procured.

Hermione finished her meal and put down her utensils, smiling in amusement as Harry began feeding small samples of extra food to Juno and Crookshanks. "That's a somewhat complicated story." The woman admitted.

"Well…, the planet we come from is called Earth, or sometimes Terra. And yes we're certainly aware the first name probably translates as soil or dirt," She cut in at Aayla's expression. "It's the third planet in our system. "As for how we got here from there… you see there was this device, an arch made of enchanted stone. We, that is to say I and my colleagues, were investigating its purpose and I determined it was a…well, a portal to put it simply. Though what kind is still a little unclear even now after using it. Harry and myself went through the portal in order to find out what was on the other side."

Hermione made a comical face, "Sorry, that is a vast oversimplification of matters, but in essence we passed through the Portal, to find out what was here and to explore."

The Twi'Lek considered her dubiously for a moment, not so much doubting her honesty or the veracity of her story as suddenly wondering at their level of sanity. "You found and went through a translocational portal - something I've only heard of in legends - not knowing whether or not it was safe ahead of time; just to find out where it led?"

The humans found her tone amusing apparently as this garnered a chuckle from the two of them. "In fairness we had reason to believe it wouldn't kill us as we passed through; though I will admit all prior wisdom up to that point stated that it would. I studied the arch and platform it was based on extensively. Translating messages on the arch which referred to a possible method of return referred to as 'The Wandering Star' which appeared to be guided by something called 'The Navigator'. Also while our primary official mission was to see what was here and make contact with any locals, we also came in the hopes of finding out what happened to those who had passed through before."

That assuaged Aayla's scepticism somewhat, and she pondered what she'd been told. She couldn't quite put her finger upon what it was, but something about those two phrases niggled at the back of her mind a bit…

She shook that off as another notion cemented itself in her thoughts. "So, correct me if I am wrong, but the two of you are in effect lost without any means of return out here?"

"Yes, and it's a touch more complicated because it seems there is no corresponding arch on this end." Hermione agreed dryly. "We've tried sending messages home, but have had no luck."

Aayla shifted forward leaning on the table, "If I might ask, how do you go about attempting that? You do not possess any communications technology that I've seen…"

Harry nodded seriously "That's because we don't have anything like that here with us. Not that it would do us any good if we had. You see Earth is fairly…primitive technologically speaking, at least by your standards. It was only relatively recently that people managed to reach our only natural satellite."  
That explained quite a bit Aayla had to concede. The relative quaint simplicity of their tent, aside from its reality bending qualities. Harry's apparent awe and fascination with the starships they had encountered…

"That said, we had to attempt communications with magic instead of technology." Hermione cut in, getting them back on point.

"The Jedi are sometimes able to communicate near instantaneously over distances if they possess a master and apprentice bond…And as you know it is possible for us to sense events from a distance sometimes…But something makes me guess that you have more sophisticated methods than that?" Aayla asked, pondering that statement.

Hermione nodded. "We had two methods available to us. First and foremost was a set of enchanted mirrors we possess which can link to other mirrors of the same variety regardless of distance. At least theoretically. For example while my mirror and Harry's still link with no difficulty, neither mirror will link to those back home. Which suggests wherever it is Earth is so far away that even the powerful enchantments on the mirror don't possess the power to reach out to it."

Harry nodded, leaning forward to take up the thread of conversation. "The other method is called a messenger Patronus. A Patronus is an…embodiment, of positive emotion typically summoned to drive off dark creatures. With a little tweaking however a Patronus will deliver a message as well. Not as quickly as the mirrors of course, but still they'll typically reach a person anywhere. The Patronus I summoned seemed confused and failed to deliver the message at all."

Aayla pondered all that with a slight frown. There was quite a bit of world shaking information in what had just been said in a rather cavalier tone by the two travelers. Enchanted objects, the existence of Dark creatures, Force communications over vast distances...through mirrors of all things! That wasn't even getting into the potential implications of a _summoned_ creature made of the Force and positive emotions, nor its ability to deliver simple _messages_.

That niggling doubt once again rose within her mind and she sighed rubbing wearily at her forehead. "It is…strange, and a little worrisome, hearing of the Force being used in such ways." She admitted.

This produced quizzical looks from her hosts. "Oh, and why is that?" Hermione asked.

Aayla cast about trying to find what it was precisely that bothered her about it. "In part your use of the Force for mundane tasks seems…mildly disrespectful, but I'll leave that aside for the moment as by and large I see no real harm in it. I suppose it's primarily two things I've seen which really worry me on one level or another." She admitted.

"The first is that you are so capable when it comes to concealing yourselves. While I sensed no ill will from you or the Force while you hid, it is…uncomfortably similar in effect to something the Jedi's enemies have used in the past." She raised a hand to forestall any objections, "Again that can be left aside for the moment as my greater concern lies with the ability Harry demonstrated to dominate and control the minds of so many."

The Jedi used what was known as the "Mind Trick" it was true, but the scale and power was much different, and the feeling of the Force behind it as well…  
Here Harry sighed, "I do regret that, truly I do." He murmured, his shoulders slumping and suddenly looking weary. "Imperio, that is the curse I used, is not something I wield lightly, especially as back home its use is tightly regulated. However under the circumstances we found ourselves in I could see no viable alternative if we were to succeed."

He raised his hands briefly as though to ward her off, even though she hadn't moved to speak. "The ends _do not_ justify the means, but they do explain them. Let me put it like this, I have lesser abilities which can with effort befuddle, confuse or even make someone highly suggestible. However that's just it, they're lesser, I could control perhaps one or two that way, not a whole room. The spells simply are not intended for it."

Aayla noticed that Hermione had placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder massaging his neck lightly. "Imperio is, it's a spell which has the sole undeniable purpose of dominating and enslaving the will of others. And it requires you to summon up the will necessary to wield such a spell. It makes me sick every time I've been forced to use it."

She was nodding now, she could see the sincerity in his face even if she could not sense it in the Force. "Now, the alternative was that I could have attempted to disable the Clones by force. This presented a number of problems, regardless of what tact I took with it. I could of course have killed every Clone in that room, but I'd obviously have preferred to avoid that as killing is something that I do not undertake lightly. I also possess a number of maiming and debilitating abilities should I need them. Stunning is the simplest and more versatile of those spells, and yet even then it wouldn't have ensured success."

He grimaced pondering how to explain. "Even a wide area effect stunner would only gave hit a couple of clones at a time in which time they would easily have figured out they were under attack and retaliated. Assuming the weapons fire alone didn't kill us or alert the rest of the base, one of them could have called for help, it was after all a communications centre…."

She raised her hands finally stopping him. "I understand, you saw no alternative which guaranteed success, so you went with the only real choice available. More than anything it is…comforting to see that you clearly dislike this…spell, a great deal."

"I _hate_ it." Harry said firmly, "I have known the type of people who would invent such a spell and I most certainly knew people who used it gladly to its fullest extent for their twisted amusement. I don't like how I feel an uncomfortable similarity to them when I use it as well, even if my motivations are different."

She nodded slowly. Hate was not a word Jedi used lightly, but she accepted that Harry and Hermione's people were different and in this case understood fully why this engendered such strong emotion. She had once been the victim of someone else's controlling influence, though it was not so powerful and instantaneous as that spell. She too knew the sorts of people who would revel in such a things use.

"I apologize, I should not have been so…distrustful," Aayla said smiling wanly at the pair who eased somewhat at her words.

Harry waved that off, "It's fine, you've been through a lot recently."

Relief spiked briefly in Aayla's mind at that, it was good that they were so tolerant of her…excesses. "I should thank you again, for all your aid." She stated firmly. "And I should also let you know that as much as it confuses me sometimes I find your…abilities amazing."

At their amused questioning expressions she cast about for an example, "Your ability to conjure water from thin air…that it isn't an illusion, that is safe to drink too? It's astounding!"

Hermione nodded, leaning back after removing her hand from her friend's shoulder, a small smile twitching her lips. "Strictly speaking that spell isn't true conjuration, as conjured materials do not last long term, which would obviously be bad when it becomes one with the body like water does." Aayla could see the sense in that too and inclined her head in acknowledgement. "What this spell actually does is condense water from the surrounding atmosphere, in a place with a reasonably high ambient humidity it's easy. But in places which are more arid it takes a great deal more power."

The Jedi found her casual description of their abilities amusing. "You see, even still, that's an amazing way to use the Force. And that's not even touching on the fact you have the ability to go back in time…"

An indelicate snort from Harry interrupted her. "Not anymore we don't, that Time Turner's had it. Nobody is going anywhere with it ever again." He pointed out reminding her of the broken little device. Hermione grimaced at that reference, something Aayla could understand given what she knew and had seen.

"I did mean to ask you about that? I appreciate what you did, believe me, and I'd risk it all again, but you mentioned that time travel is risky? So…why the damaged time machine?"

Harry chuckled a bit darkly, "It's mostly because that's the only one we had access to. A few years back Hermione and I were involved in a battle for our Ministry's so called 'Department of Mysteries'. Which is essentially our government's magical research division. In the battle things happened that rendered our stock of Time Turners either destroyed outright or made…' _Temporally_ ' unavailable."

Aayla quirked an eyebrow at that odd turn of phrase. "And what does that mean?"

Hermione smiled thinly. "It means they're either stuck in permanent time loops, or have been sent so far back in time that it is entirely likely that nobody anywhere will ever see them again." She noted dryly. "The one they were able to track ended up 65 million years in the past, for reference that's about the time when Earth was inhabited by giant lizards…which coincidentally all went extinct around that time."

Hermione sighed, unintentionally glossing over the possibility of how a global extinction level event might have been linked to their battle at this department. "This Time Turner was the sole device we could retrieve from the room they were kept in, and it was a prototype. I confess I kinda…stole it." She admitted with a sheepish look.

"In her defence, it is entirely likely that we're the only people in magical Britain insane enough to try using the thing." Harry noted dryly.

Aayla smiled in grim amusement. "Well, regardless I am glad that you did take it, as it has almost certainly helped the Jedi immeasurably. And even if time travel is no longer on the table such as it is, I stand by my assertion you have an impressive arsenal of abilities." She began ticking off a few that she was aware of. "Teleportation, conjuration of various kinds, protective abilities, concealment, mind control…" She made a face at that last one. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up again." Aayla apologized.

She pondered that list again. "You know, leaving aside the possible historical hangups of your concealment abilities, I have to say the Jedi would likely find them quite fascinating. I mean, I couldn't sense you in the Force like most Jedi do, and…" Here she paused pondering how much she really trusted these two across from her.

Her empathy was not something she discussed lightly, many she had encountered found the ability disquieting…Still, thus far these two had given her no reason to distrust them.

"And I cannot sense your emotions unless I touch you." She finished after a moment.

The response this engendered was not what she expected, though perhaps she should have. She'd expected some variety of fear or sudden caution, instead both humans across from her adopted looks of curiosity. "Do, you mean to say you're empathic?" Hermione asked, her gaze suddenly keen. "Is that part of being a Jedi or is it an ability associated with your species?"

Aayla blinked in surprise before shaking her head chuckling ruefully to herself. While unexpected it was a relief they seemed to be taking it well. "No, it isn't a Jedi ability, or a consequence of being Twi'lek. It's just something I was born with. And yes we do refer to it as being empathic."

She couldn't help but find Hermione's eager sense of academic curiosity a bit endearing, the girl wasn't at all guileful or crude in her curiosity. She could tell even without sensing her emotions that it truly was an honest and pure thirst for knowledge. "It is odd though, that it is so inconsistent, most times I can barely sense you at all, with the Force or my abilities. But at others I sometimes catch glimpses when your guard is down…" She mused.

Something about that brought Hermione up short, stopping her mid-notation in her little book. The brunette's eyes looked querying as she met the gaze of her friend. He shrugged, raising an eyebrow. "Occlumency?" he asked shortly.

Hermione's gaze grew distant as she pondered that worrying her lip, before nodding slowly, "It could be," She agreed.

Harry turned to look at Aayla. "Here, let me try something." He murmured and then appeared to focus on something as he closed his eyes. And with that her sense of him entirely faded even as he continued to sit right across from her.

She shook her head in disbelief, "You're gone now, it's like you're not even there." She said in mild awe at the ease with which he utilized this ability.  
A simple nod was the reply as he continued to sit still, his eyes tight shut, "And now?"

Suddenly he was the blazing star she'd noted the day previously and she quirked a smile. "I can sense you, loud and clear."

Another nod and his expression of concentration eased, before opening his eyes again, now she could feel his emotions too. Curiosity as he watched her with those unusual green eyes, focus as he carefully held down the barriers he'd maintained for so long, worry wondering just what she'd see, followed by mild embarrassment.

"And there's your emotions." She said smiling at the brief surge of satisfaction from him before his emotions and light faded away once more.

"Interesting…" Hermione mumbled making another note in her book.

The Twi'lek Jedi thought it was a lot more than just interesting, simply shaking her head wistfully. "That is indeed an ability the Jedi would likely value highly."

"It's what we call occlumency, it's the practice of first ordering then protecting your mind from outside intrusion. As a side effect it dampens your aura, which is at a guess what you sense normally." Harry explained patiently, rolling his shoulders slightly now that he wasn't concentrating.

"It has a lot of benefits actually." Hermione interjected, looking up from her notes. "Protection of your mind from reading or outside influence is just the most notable, however it allows for more easy recognition and control of emotions as well as better recall and thinking speed."

Aayla couldn't help but laugh aloud at that, "Oh yes, should you ever meet them, the other Jedi will likely be desperate to try and learn that."

"Oh, why so?" Harry asked clearly surprised at the interest in what she assumed he considered a simple skill judging by his expression.

"The Jedi train heavily in the control of our emotions, and use focus in particular in order to direct our abilities." Aayla explained plainly.

Hermione began writing hurriedly once again, "Why the need for emotional control, to enhance your focus?" Hermione asked, jotting down a few things before looking up at her curiously.

"No…well, not exactly anyways, powerful emotions are…dangerous." Aayla hedged considering her words carefully. "They allow the dark side to gain a foothold in your mind and to work at twisting your thoughts." She said mildly confused at the question.

The two humans looked blank at her reference to the dark side and she wondered what was wrong until it finally hit her, neither of them had the faintest idea what she was talking about. But, how could that be?

"The 'Dark Side'?" Harry asked eventually after sharing a look with Hermione.

Aayla tried to find a way to define it to them. Never having to do so before with another Force user. "It is difficult to explain…what do you know of the Force, or magic if you prefer? What is it to you?"

Hermione was the one to attempt an answer. "It is an energy field, which some people and creatures can filter and manipulate for various purposes."

"So you see it as a tool then?" Aayla asked, pondering that, curious what she had meant by 'filter', but setting it aside for a question for a later time. Their lack of knowledge of the dark side was confusing and a more pressing issue in her mind.

Hermione shrugged conceding the assertion, "More or less, a tool with the nasty habit of behaving somewhat unpredictably but a tool nonetheless."

"Interesting," The Jedi murmured. She wasn't aware of another sect of Force users who viewed the Force so dispassionately. "The Force, as the Jedi and indeed even the Sith, our enemy, understand it, is indeed an energy field. An energy field which while encompassing and permeating everything in known  
existence…also, at times appears to have a will of it's own. We can with effort feel its push upon our minds, even when it has not been called upon, suggesting this path or that…"

She paused trying to remember the various lectures she'd received from her masters and the various teachers at the Temple. "And if we continue with the belief that the Force is in someway alive I suppose I could say that, like many living things it has both a good nature and a bad one."

She gnawed her cheek lightly before continuing. "It is almost as if…the Force were of multiple minds about matters, while being a connected whole at the same time. The light side, which the Jedi try to serve encompassing positive controlled emotions and acts of charity and kindness. The dark which espouses the opposite, vengeance, anger, hatred, fear…" Here she paused but something made her speak despite her uncertainty on this next point. "And yet at times, there is also a part of it that seems to specifically counter both…" She mused pondering that last notion.

Shaking her head to dislodge that thought Aayla pressed on. "The dark side is manipulative, and can with time worm its way into your thoughts and twist you into something horrible…"

She couldn't help but think on the dark side users she'd confronted before, Dooku, Ventress, Volfe Karkko, even her master Quinlan Vos when he'd brushed that side of the Force…

When she finally stirred from her musings the two across from her were deep in thought, finally Hermione asked a question. "May I ask, how do you know it is not merely your own darker nature growing stronger as it's indulged?"

"A good question." The Twi'lek agreed, she'd wondered the same thing once. "For one, indulging that side of yourself overmuch, while making you a bad person, does not have the same effect on you that the dark side does. We, the Jedi I mean, are trained to tell the difference between its influence and our own negative nature." She paused considering how to continue, "For example, I could indulge a nasty and frustrated thought of my own and reach out with the Force and throttle someone who irritated me, and I would without a question be a murderer and indeed emanate a bit of the negative energy characteristic of the Dark Side. I might feel remorse after doing so, though such would not change what I had done."

Here she smiled a took wanly. "However, to specifically give in to the dark side and channel it directly to feed your power? It affects your mind. Remorse is incredibly difficult to feel after using the dark side in such a way, more so it's almost like…allowing someone else to control you, knowing that doing so would make you more like them. It's like poison in your body. Those who use the dark side tend to become physically twisted and often drift into utter insanity."

Hermione looked thoughtful, and was nodding absently. "Dark magic, often exacts a toll on it's user…" She speculated. "And Blood Magic often has a deleterious effect on the mind, but what you describe, it almost sounds like…like a magical entity or spirit writ large…"

Aayla shrugged, "You could say that after a fashion I suppose, those who die do indeed become one with the Force, and their spirits occasionally manifest to those in need of guidance."

Hermione was scribbling more notes. "This is all fascinating," She confided. "I wonder if…could it be that these 'sides' of the Force are…spiritual embodiments of the values and emotions of those who died and merged with it…" She speculated aloud. "A wicked person dies, their wickedness feeds the side that embodies such things, a good person dies, the opposite is true. And maybe these embodiments seek to continue to feed themselves, or fulfill their purpose or nature by turning a person one way or the other…"

That was…certainly a different way to look at things, Aayla had to admit. "I have not heard the Force described in such a way. I do not know what the other Jedi would make of that interpretation. I do know that Sith have trouble becoming one with the Force at all, jealously guarding their independence."

Harry snorted in amusement then smiled. "People have debated the nature of magic since it was discovered. It sounds a bit like there may be a being or something out there that tries to speak with and control people though…" His smiled faded at that thought and he frowned. "I wonder if Occlumency would keep out such a thing's influence?"

Aayla found the notion of something manipulating her mind troublesome. "I don't know, you access the Force despite being hidden from me…so you're still drawing on it one way or the other." She noted.

"True, but we draw from inside ourselves not from outside like you seem to…" Harry argued, confusing her further.

Hermione didn't seem to have noticed the latest byplay and was muttering to herself absently drawing their attention back to her. "The question then becomes are the energy field, and the polarized 'sides' or embodiments of intent, one and the same?" She mused silently ignoring the amused looks Harry and Aayla shared. "If they aren't and the Force is just the energy field, then it may be more accurate to think of these 'sides' as energy beings which live within it and influence more corporeal beings…"

Harry chuckled at his friend's antics. "Look, I think we're confusing the matter, I've certainly noticed that Magic seems stronger here and I admit I have actually noticed instincts for lack of a better term which helped me choose what I was going to do next. As to whether or not that's your 'sides' of the Force speaking to me is irrelevant in this case. I will listen to what my instincts tell me, but I won't necessarily do what they say if they're morally wrong."

Aayla smiled sadly. "Were it so easy; it is not as simple as an instinctual desire to do something bad, it is far more subtle than that…"

Harry nodded, "Then we will keep a watch on it, Occlumency should help there too, it's good for detecting foreign thoughts and influences as we mentioned."  
"And again I tell you that is something the Jedi would covet greatly." Aayla noted with a bit of amusement.

Harry lightly tapped Hermione, garnering her attention as she'd become buried in her notes. "Well, what do you think? Think we could teach her Occlumency, at the very least it might help her deal with things…"

Hermione nodded, "We might be able to do that," She agreed after a moment's consideration. "She doesn't even need a wand to do it after all…"

"Wand?" Aayla asked curiously.

Harry pulled out the stick which had been vexing her for so long and held it up. "That's our name for these." The Twi'lek nodded her understanding.

"I would indeed be most interested in learning that skill myself. But pardon me for a moment, might I ask about your…wand?" She asked tentatively. "It is a focus of some sort yes? Jedi have encountered objects which can focus the Force before…but I can't say I've heard of any so efficient."

The two humans across from her nodded. "It is a focus yes, each is unique and specially matched to its user. For example Harry couldn't use my wand as well as he uses his own." Hermione explained.

"You mentioned the Jedi use foci?" Harry probed curiously.

Aayla bobbed her head, unintentionally causing her lekku to bounce a little. "Yes, crystals mostly. Our healers used them sometimes…And I've heard that the Night Sisters of Dathomir will on occasion use an alchemical concoction as a focus. But by far the most common use would be the focus built into our Lightsabers."

"Your sword has a focus built into it?" Harry asked sounding intrigued.

Aayla reclined somewhat, more at ease with this discussion than the previous. "Yes, the function is twofold actually. First and most obviously it plays a function in focusing the blade within its force field so it can be used as intended. The second use however allows a Force wielder to more personally connect with their blade and use it to it's fullest potential. For those unable to feel the Force a lightsaber is little more than an awkwardly balanced sword."

"Hence why you can move those things around so fast without cutting off anything important…" Harry mused, appearing to ponder something. Aayla for her part smiled in amusement at his rather blunt statement.

"That is in fact part of it yes. The other part being the extensive physical conditioning and practice we Jedi undertake, as well as a great deal of allowing the Force to guide your movements." She added.

They all considered what they had discussed thus far for a time. Hermione studiously making notes of what had been said. "Well, I don't know about getting you a wand anytime soon, but we should be able to teach you occlumency." Harry offered.

The notion of learning such a useful skill was highly appealing to the Twi'lek, unfortunately everyday responsibilities were encroaching on her time. "Perhaps we can get a start on that later today?"

Aayla perked up at that, the notion that she could learn some of what these two strange humans did, especially something which sounded so useful to someone such as her, was exciting! "I would enjoy that I think, if you are willing." She said eagerly, leaning forward. Only to come up short when some minor protests sounded from her muscles. As they finally began to stiffen up after her exercises. "If I didn't before I meant to compliment you on your work on me. I feel far better than I expected so soon after such an injury."

In fact her injuries felt weeks or months old, after a good soak in a bacta or kolto dip, rather than less than a day.

"You're welcome," Harry murmured, smiling slightly. "I imagine you're feeling some of the effects still? If you want I can provide you with some potions to help with that, considering you purged the ones before it might be best you take them sooner rather than later."

She thought about that, she was still a bit…leery of anything described as a potion, especially if they might fog her mind. "What would you be giving me and what do they do exactly?"

He held up a finger and got up to pad out of the room, returning a moment later with a set of vials and a bottle. He placed the first two on the table in front of her. He pointed to the first, "This is a mild pain potion, in this dose it shouldn't do much more than take away the pain, in larger doses it can cause mild euphoria and distorted thinking." He explained, he then pointed to the other which housed a thick green goo. "This one is a muscle knitter and scar reducer. It does the first better than the second. Only thing that'll remove the scars completely is some long term therapy."

He then placed the last item on the table. A grey white bottle which remarkably resembled a human skeleton. "This is skelegrow. One of the foulest tasting potions I have in stock." He admitted ruefully. "Not that any potion tastes nice, in a mild dose like the one I'll be giving you it mends fractures and already set breaks. In bigger doses like the one I gave you before it'll regrow bones." She blinked in surprise at that assertion.

"I had to vanish some that had been pulverized by the attack. It was nearly done its work when you purged it. If it hadn't been you'd likely have broken several of the partially formed bones just sitting up. The smaller dose is to heal any remaining stress fractures and to finish up the job the previous dose started."  
She picks up the first vial, eyeing it suspiciously, she could see flakes in it! "It has…chunks." She noted.

Harry just nodded, "Yup, and if you can believe it we mainlined things like that directly into your blood. Potions are odd that way, if a non-magical mainlined it the result would almost certainly kill them. But seeing as its proper magic made by a licensed potioneer it just does what it's intended to do with you."

She uncapped it and gave it a sniff something she regretted immediately, it smell strongly of antiseptic. "It's better to just swallow it as quickly as possible," Hermione piped up from the side putting away her note book.

Aayla pondered it, taking the opportunity to brush aside the small lingering feelings of doubt before swallowing it down. Mercifully it didn't taste as foul as it smelled, though it still wasn't good. She then picked up the next vial and did the same, this one more repulsive in its viscosity than in its taste.

It was here however that she paused, surprised to find she could already feel the pain ebbing away. She eyed the small capful Harry poured of the one he'd described as particularly vile tasting uneasily. "Just swallow it back, plug your nose if you have to, we'll get you something to wash the taste away after."

She picked up the small container, which was honestly smaller than a shot glass and gave it one last dark look before swallowing it back.

It had to be said, Harry hadn't sugar coated the truth. It was without a doubt the most vile thing she'd ever tasted. "Gah!" She croaked as the last of it went down. "Acklay Shite!? What the kriff! That is the most foul—gah! _Water_ , water! I need water." She demanded and thankfully found a glass of the liquid pressed into her hand which she used to hurriedly to wash the hideous concoction out of her mouth.

"Sorry, I did warn you." Harry noted with a sympathetic smile. "Feeling any better though?"

She had to concede that she did, and said so after washing her mouth a couple more times. "Well, that's about all I can do for you at the moment, though I can recommend a warm bath or shower as well."

Aayla started at the boy questioningly, before it managed to click. At first she had been confused as to how they would have the water and heating capacity for such a thing in the tent. "Magic?" She asked looking pointedly to Hermione who nodded looking amused.

She only needed to consider that for a moment before nodding. "That would be lovely if you would be so kind." It had after all been far too long since her last proper clean. She didn't like to think about how she must smell by now.

Hermione got to her feet and waved for her to follow. "Come with me then, I'll get you sorted."

The first thing Hermione did was familiarize her with the bathroom, and it had to be said it was, despite some minor aesthetic differences, very similar in function to what she was well familiar with. Aayla decided she would avail herself of the other facilities before taking her bath however. Not the least of which was a toothbrush the human provided her with. Perhaps it was merely her imagination but she could swear she still tasted that…potion.

Hermione then indicated how the various taps for the bath were controlled and showed her where the towels were kept before letting herself out. Aayla had needed to restrain herself from asking just where the water came from and went without someone there to actively work 'magic' upon it. She'd have plenty of time to ask that in coming days she was sure. As it was she had plenty to consider already.

She stood there for a time merely absorbing all she had learned before moving to secure the door flap. It wasn't that she particularly believed either human were the types to spy, but she did so anyways for her own peace of mind.

It was a…peculiar notion to the Jedi, being modest. She was after all a member of a species whose females were renowned across the galaxy for being sensual beings. She'd even used that fact to her advantage in infiltration missions in the past. And been exposed in unpleasant ways during her…incident all those years ago under the influence of spice. And for preference she slept in the nude and had even engaged in " _Less than Ideal_ " combat simulations particularly those focused on hot or humid weather in the nude to keep from overheating. And back at the temple had shared quarters with other female Jedi at various points in time.

She was a Jedi though, which really said it all in a single simple statement. At least to those who understood just what a Jedi was. Thus she was modest whenever otherwise possible.

Aayla utilized the facilities, which she found herself in need of after close to a day away from any sort of civilization and stripped down in preparation for her bath. Only to pause when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She had scars, of course she did after what had happened…Only one of which was immediately visible on her front over her right shoulder, but several more were visible around her back, and another on her left leg below her buttock.

They were far less pronounced than one might expect from a blaster wound after a dip in bacta however…Harry's healing techniques were very effective it seemed.

Still, those scars…the Twi'lek Jedi was not what she considered a vain person. Focusing only rarely on her appearance for its own sake, and generally only when there was formal need of appearing beautiful. Vanity was not a trait the Jedi encouraged, though they did of course support caring for one's physique. She was therefore mildly surprised to feel the sinking feeling in her stomach and the sadness which gripped her heart upon seeing the scars which now marred her skin.

Aayla sighed shaking her head before stepping into the large stone bath. Fiddling idly with the taps per instruction and enjoying the warm water which began pooling about her legs. She had felt a small surge in the Force when she had turned on the taps and the water had come. Obviously her guess that it was "Magic" had been on the credit. That of course raised the questions of how it was possible once again. However, for the moment she would merely take pleasure in the fact she could have hot water even here in the middle of nowhere and settled back to enjoy herself.

* * *

There was something peaceful, and calming about a ship hanging motionless in the void Barriss decided. Something about knowing that the majority of potential threats and distractions were, for the most part, separated from you by lightyears of open, empty space.

Nevertheless as their small craft hung in this particular corner of the void, about five light years away from the Republic world of Milvayne, Barriss struggled to focus on her meditations.

She constantly found herself distracted by the small sounds from her shipboard companion Master Ti, or by the hum of the engines, the tiny creaks of the hull…She even found herself mentally reciting what she knew of the vessel in question. An Incom Corporation UT-60D 'U-Wing' gunship/transport hybrid, with an effective atmospheric speed of nine-hundred and fifty kilometres per hour. Armed with a pair of Taim & Bak KX7 laser cannons which could…

The slight Mirialan shook that off, while reciting facts could in times of need prove suitably relaxing, the details of a war machine would inevitably lead to more uncomfortable topics for her, like just what an impact from those laser cannons could do to a person, armoured or no.

She needed to focus on other things, she needed to calm her mind and find her centre again. It was…harder, since Master Ti had disconnected the Force Suppression cuffs. She'd been so long without the Force's whispers in her mind that to suddenly feel them again was jarring, not the least of which because those darker whispers had only faded with time, not vanished completely.

Distraction this time came in the form of Master Ti approaching her from the forward section of the strike craft. "Would you like something to eat Barriss? It has been some time since our last meals after all." The Togrutan Jedi Master noted gently eying her inscrutably from behind dark eyes, which at times seemed almost black.

Barriss reluctantly took one of the offered ration bars from the older woman and bit into it, trying to ignore the slightly disgusting bland taste of the nutrient block. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Shaak Ti did not turn and leave to give her some space again still observing her silently for a while as she ate. Finally just as the scrutiny was starting to get uncomfortable the Jedi spoke. "How are you feeling Barriss, how are you holding up in all of this?"

"I am fine," was Barriss' short and unconvincing answer.

This response clearly didn't impress the older woman as she gave Barriss a pointed look. "We both know that is far from the truth Barriss, how many times I wonder did you tell people you were 'fine' before it all went wrong?" The Togruta chided.

Barriss stiffened, and had to struggled to keep her face neutral, those dark whispers suddenly a dull roar in her mind as her irritation flared. "I do hope you do not intend to throw that in my face whenever convenient Master Ti." She bit out tightly.

To her surprise the Jedi eased back, seeming contrite. "My apologies, that did indeed come out far more harshly than I intended. I merely desired to indicate that burying your problems has not served you well in the past, and will only harm you should you continue."

Barriss, felt her irritation ebb, and with it the dark whispers abated, slinking sullenly into the background. She sighed, and ran a hand back through her increasingly unkempt black hair. Shaak Ti had a point, she knew she did, that didn't make it easier to stomach. "Possibly. To answer your question...more—more often than I should have." She admitted reluctantly, at Shaak Ti's questioning look she clarified. "How often I told people nothing was wrong when clearly something was."

The Jedi Master hummed and pulled down one of the cabin's fold up chairs and seated herself across from Barriss who remained cross-legged on the floor. "Do you ever ask anyone for help?" She asked eventually.

Barriss smiled wanly, before nodding tucking a strand of hair that had come loose behind her ear. "Yes, after a fashion. I found it more and more difficult to come out and admit just what was wrong as time went on. I went to my mas—to master Unduli first of course…" Here she paused and frowned, her irritation stirring slightly at the memory. "Perhaps I was too circumspect in my approach, but her answer was simply to 'Trust in the Force,' and that it would see us through." That had been a wholly unsatisfying response to one who had been as troubled as she had been back then. It had put an end to her attempts to find solace in her Master's guidance.

Shaak Ti sighed, leaning back in her chair. " _Trust in the Force…_ " She murmured, looking suddenly very tired. "I have said those words myself far too many times, and far too often it was insufficient. I regret greatly many of those times when I look back on them, and I understand how you could find yourself…lost when the best advice your most trusted confidant could produce was a simple and careless phrase such as that."

"I cannot apologize for the actions of another, nor can I make up for the fact I may very well have responded similarly if approached, but I do want you to know that I regret that you did not think to approach me. If the thought was such that it wouldn't even occur to you then clearly I have been doing something wrong." The Master murmured tiredly, nevertheless keeping her eyes firmly on the young mirialan on the deck before her.

Barriss was unsure what to make of that. Considering everything she had done, all the… _sins_ , she had committed, it was strange to hear a Jedi apologizing to her. Apparently the silence stretched too long as Shaak Ti spoke again. "If it would benefit you now, please feel free to tell me what is bothering you?"

Barriss pondered that invitation, before slowly nodding as she began to think on her feelings. An odd sensation to be sure, introspection was a talent encouraged among the Jedi it was true, but even now, when she was no longer counted among their number it was difficult to intentionally focus her mind on identifying and analyzing her emotions. "I—am uncertain, I suppose…" She admitted eventually.

"About what?" The Togrutan asked gently.

"Everything," Barriss replied, surprising herself with the haste and truth of her answer. "I no longer know my place in this galaxy Master Ti, and many would say I have none. I am a criminal, nothing I can do will change that now. But more than that…I find myself, quite contrary to all expectations, free and alive." She mused rubbing her lower lip absently with her thumb. "Indeed, I am far from my cell, far from any civilization which might hunt me. I find myself liberated and yet entirely uncertain as to how I should proceed. Or even if I should."

Shaak Ti nodded silently before speaking softly, not wishing to unduly stir the girl from her introspection. "Does it bother you, not knowing what to do with yourself, or what to think of your freedom?"

"Yes, I confess it does. Before…my fall, and even after. I always knew my place, what was expected of me, and where I was headed. Now? Now, there is nothing and it frightens me. I have no purpose, no place, no goal. I lack even basic desires that might guide me. I am free, I should feel excited no? And yet I find myself at a loss as to what to do with my freedom." She admitted. "It is ironic, that in some ways I have ever been subject to the will of others and yet now? Save for you and the limitations of this ship I find myself unbound, and remarkably have no idea what to do with myself."

Shaak Ti considered that. "You are free, yes, after a fashion. I must remind you, though I am uncertain how you will take this, that you are still in my care and custody. Does that bother you?"

Barriss cocked her head absorbing that point, surprisingly she smiled thinly and shook her head. "No, it does not bother me. Strange isn't it? When I was…when I had fallen, I longed for freedom, I raged against the restrictions placed on me. As a prisoner, I would have given anything, done anything, been anything, to just have a little more space to move around in and explore. Now, I find myself myself content to merely be out of my cage, happy even to know that there is in fact still a boundary."

"Then perhaps it will comfort you somewhat to know that we will have a purpose, a task. The Jedi will have need of all those that remain, and while you are no longer counted among our number, I will need someone to aid me." Shaak Ti noted calmly, watching the woman take that in.

"It does, comfort me that is." Barriss admitted. "Somewhat at least."

Shaak Ti nodded, appearing pleased. "Does something else bother you?"

Barriss nodded, her small smile fleeing again, this time to be replaced by an ill look. "Guilt, for what I did yes, but that is nothing new at this point. No, I feel guilty about what I had to do at the Temple." She looked. "I—I know that whoever those people were that attacked you, they meant you harm and indeed harm to the whole Jedi Order. And yet…I can't help but feel sick knowing I struck one down."

The Jedi pondered that, before humming. "I cannot say that I am sorry that he is gone. He was a foul creature, filled with darkness. But I understand that killing him was…difficult for you."

Barriss shook her head ruefully, "No, you misunderstand, it was not difficult. It was too _easy_!" She stated, her brow furrowing slightly. "In times past before I fell, I struggled with sorrow for those I was forced to slay, but when I fell everything changed. Killing became…easy, exciting, exhilarating! It filled me with life and energy. What troubles me now is not that I killed, so much as that it was still too easy to do."

Master Ti, frowned, though it didn't appear so much in disapproval as in consideration. "Did you enjoy it this time as well?"

"No but…I didn't find it as repulsive as I should have either." Barriss argued.

Shaak Ti shook her head. "Barriss, I cannot pretend to have been in your position, in that at least I am fortunate, that said…I do not think you will ever be as you were before. From my understanding of things, the dark side does not work that way. Once in your life it will always linger in one way or another." She held up a hand to stall the response from a despairing Barriss.

"I did not say it will always control you, merely that you would never be entirely free of it, or its legacy. It is as you say nothing you can do will undo what you did. You will forever be changed by what you have seen and experienced. That said, you are not the same woman who orchestrated the attack on the Temple all those months ago." She explained.

"Like a veteran soldier you will always bear the scars both physical and mental of the life you have lived. As do we all in one way or another. You despair that you are not as you once were. I must be honest with you Barriss I would have been shocked if you were. Especially so soon after what happened. But you yourself noted that you didn't revel in it as you did during your fall either. That suggests that you are neither the young woman you once were under Master Unduli's tutelage, nor are you the woman who lashed out at those who were your friends and allies. You are someone different now"

Barriss considered that, nodding slowly as the sense in what was being said began to sink in. Only to come up short when a tone sounded from the ship's communications console. Shaak Ti pushed to her feet, "I have to take this, I just want you to know something. No person stays the same their entire life, we are all a multitude of persons throughout our times among the living."

Shaak Ti smiled compassionately before turning and pacing to the console and activating the holocom. The projector heated and a small holographic representation of a very familiar Jedi appeared floating in the air in front of her. Shaak Ti bowed slightly at the waist, before waving for Barriss to join her. "Master Yoda, it is good to see you. A great relief to know you have made it thus far."

He hummed thoughtfully, bobbing his head in agreement, "Fortunate, have I been thus far. If not for your warning, perhaps not so lucky would I have been? Still, gladdened am I, to see both you and young Barriss are alive and well." He murmured, smiling slightly.

It was curious, the small feeling of warmth that appeared inside Barriss at that simple statement. While she knew he did not condone what she had done, he did not hate her either. In retrospect such a thing should not have shocked her. It was not in Yoda's nature to hate, even those who had wronged him or the order he loved.

"Well you are? And safe?" He asked returning his attention to Master Ti.

She inclined her head slightly in agreement. "Yes Master Yoda. We are currently in deep space aboard the vessel we escaped Coruscant aboard. We await further instructions."

He hummed again in thought. "A task I have for you. Wish I do, that handle it personally I could, but my own mission I have. Go to Coruscant I must, me and Master Kenobi."

Barriss felt alarm at that declaration, and saw Shaak Ti felt the same. "Are you certain that is wise Master? Coruscant is not safe, in fact it may be our enemy's strongest position at this time."

The diminutive Jedi nodded wearily. "Indeed, great risk it is, yes. But urgent it is, that defeat Sidious we do. More so that young Skywalker is contained." He said tapping his walking stick on the ground firmly. "Also, a great many things, left at the Temple they were, priceless and dangerous artifacts, which must not fall into the Sith's hands."

Barriss was surprised he was aware of Skywalker's betrayal, she had after all only known about who had led the Clones to the Temple when Master Ti told her after their escape. "You know about Anakin?" Shaak Ti asked.

He grimaced, and nodded, a pained expression on his face. "Sensed it in the Force, as fall to the dark side young Skywalker did. Unfortunate; a great blow to the Jedi it is."

Shaak Ti sighed considering the elder Master's points but shook her head. "I agree that Anakin is a grave threat that needs to be contained Master Yoda. But I must strongly object to attacking the chanc—Sidious directly."

He cocked his head at her. "Curious I am, as to your reasoning. Given the threat that this Dark Lord of the Sith represents."

She clasped her hands before her and nodded before explaining patiently. "Master, Sidious is powerful, this we always knew considering his skill at evading us. But he is more powerful still, if he managed to slay so many of the council who were sent against him. Master Windu was among the greatest Jedi of our age, and yet he fell. The Dark Lord is certain to be protected, perhaps even by Skywalker himself." She explained. "If you should fail, even with Master Kenobi's aid, the attack will without question be used to turn popular opinion even further against the Order, something we cannot afford in these times."

Yoda was silent for a time, before he sighed, sagging visibly, suddenly looking every one of his nine-hundred odd years. "Wisdom there is in your words. An alternate plan will Master Obi-Wan and I require then. Foolish it was. Perhaps even I desired the chance to avenge this attack on the Order? Blinded by it I was."  
Shaak Ti and Barriss eased somewhat. "Use this opportunity instead I will to search for allies and salvage from the Temple what I can, if the Force favours us."  
"That sounds a much more prudent plan to me Master," Shaak Ti said, looking somewhat more comfortable.

"Take time it will, for me to reach Coruscant from Kashyyyk. Attempt to communicate with Master Obi-Wan I will." He assured her.

Barriss stirred slightly at the mention of the Wookiee homeworld. "Master might I ask after the other Jedi deployed to Kashyyyk?" She interrupted.  
She had…mixed feelings about her former Master, but she did not wish her slain by Sidious' pawns either.

He smiled thinly. "Alive, Master Luminara is. As is Master Vos. Though bound up in the Wookiee resistance the latter is now. A great battle is being waged on Kashyyyk now." Barriss felt a small knot inside her ease.

Seeming satisfied by her reaction he looked to Shaak Ti before turning serious. "Told me you did, that the source of our salvation was Master Secura yes? That an ally had warned her I believe?" She nodded agreement. "Then urgent task I have for you. Go to Felucia you must, find and protect Master Secura and those who aided her you must. In their debt we Jedi are, as are all those who resist Sidious now. Poor gratitude would it be if to abandon them we were."

The Togrutan Jedi nodded firm agreement. "Yes Master Yoda, we'll set course for there immediately. It should take a couple days at most to reach it I believe."  
Yoda hummed agreement. "Then delay you further I shall not." He said smiling slightly. "And wish you good fortune I do in your search. Farewell for now this must be."

"May the Force be with you Master," Shaak Ti said, unconsciously echoed by Barriss.

"And may it be with you as well." He murmured before the connection ended.

Shaak Ti stood considering the dimming projector for a time before nodding absently to herself. "It seems we have a mission then. Barriss if you would set course for Felucia, we're going to see a friend."

Barriss found herself complying before she even realized what she was doing. It was true what she had said earlier, it was good having a path to follow. And while she was no longer a Jedi, this one would suffice for now.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thank you to all the Betas who assisted in this chapter. Real life was a cast iron pain in my neck so getting this done was largely thanks to their assistance. I do have one request of the audience. If there are any fans of the Warhammer 40K universe out there, particularly those familiar with its admittedly insane lore, would you please contact me? I have an idea bouncing around in my head that I may explore some day, and I could use assistance with bouncing ideas around and such. Otherwise? Thank you all for reading. I write this story for enjoyment and self improvement yes, but also for you people!


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Just a quick apology for not updating in a while. It was a combination of real life CRAP, and Mass Effect Andromeda getting in the way. Thankfully I finally got it together for this chapter, so here it is and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Ravine Camp  
Felucia

Paper, was an almost novel sensation on Hermione's fingers after so many years forced to work with parchment and thicker vellum. It was part of the reason she keep a simple muggle paper notebook with her these days. A small break in the routine, and a comforting reminder of her old life.

It was surprising, the volume of information she had received and entered into her notes in such a short time! She had been expecting to learn a lot on this expedition, but she had not expected to learn so much so soon!

Hermione shook her head absently, reflecting on just how futile it was to expect anything to go as planned, while thumbing through the pages of her notes simply cataloguing all the subjects she now had information on. Felucia, the Republic, the War, The Force…

The sound of shifting fabric brought her attention back to the present and she glanced up to see Aayla stepping through from the hall leading to the bathroom and their quarters. She was dressed in an outfit which appeared virtually identical to the one she had been wearing thus far. She was also industriously towelling her…brain tails? Not to mention looked categorically preoccupied, pacing into the room with a somewhat vacant look in her eye.

It wasn't hard for Hermione to figure out just what was bothering the other woman - blue skinned, tentacled alien or no. After all Aayla had learned and experienced many terrible things in the last day or so, and it was likely she'd only made it as far as she had because they had kept her attention fixed on other things.

She knew from experience and observation what dwelling on misfortune could do to a person. Perhaps it would be best to keep Aayla from ruminating on such things then?

Thankfully it was not hard to find something to say to Aayla. "You know? I've been meaning to ask you something." The sound of her voice was apparently enough to stir the Jedi out of her thoughts and Aayla's eyes refocused on her where she sat on the couch. "The uh — head tails? May I ask what they are called?"

That appeared to work, and Aayla smiled ruefully at her, something in her eyes conveying the message that she knew just what Hermione was up to, and that she appreciated it. "These? We call them Lekku. This one is T'chin, and that one is T'chun." She said jabbing a finger at each in turn.

"What are their purpose? Biologically I mean." Hermione asked, memorizing which was which for future reference.

This produced a casual shrug from Aayla, "Don't know, not really. They are semi-prehensile actually. But mostly they just house some of our brains and move about a bit with our moods." As if to demonstrate the one resting on her right shoulder twitched a bit. "There's plenty of theories about what they might have been in the past of course, but no one really knows for sure."

That made sense to the brunette, there were after all a few structures in the human body which were the same. They had clearly served a function at some point, but now?

Regardless her attempt to distract Aayla seemed to have worked wonderfully. Her posture had straightened and she seemed less troubled. "My turn for a question?" The Twi'lek said, "I was just wondering, who is it that would be teaching me this….occlumency you've told me about?"

This received a chuckle from the direction of the front door and Hermione noticed Harry had returned from walking Juno around outside. "It'd better be Hermione who does that I think. She's a better teacher than I am, and you would probably be more comfortable with a woman teaching you than a man."

Aayla looked all set to ask why that would be but Hermione felt she needed to argue with that statement from her oldest friend. "Honestly Harry, you're a good teacher, you did after all do a good job with the DA, remember?" Harry just gave her a knowing look and she rolled her eyes fondly. "Alright, fine. I'll agree it would probably be preferable for me to teach her in this case."

Aayla cocked her head at her, clearly uncertain what to make of the banter. "Why? I'm just curious is all."

The brunette sighed closing her notebook with a small click. "The process of learning Occlumency requires someone to probe your mind and then teach you how to order and protect your thoughts." She said patiently. "This means that I'll effectively be inside your head for a bit and might see some personal things. We simply mean that it might be more comfortable with a woman seeing those thoughts than a man."

Apparently this would definitely be the case as Aayla immediately blushed and looked away. It was interesting to see how Aayla's skin tone produced a deeper blue instead of the reddish tone humans were used to.

"Don't worry too much, the first parts are easier though, and don't require me to do anything like that. Are you wanting to get started on that right away?" Hermione asked comfortingly.

Apparently learning they would not be diving head first into something which would likely be uncomfortable eased Aayla's mind and she relaxed, nodding thoughtfully. "Yes, please. If you have the time of course? I found what you've said about this discipline thus far very interesting."

Hermione pushed to her feet, ruefully noting the way Juno immediately moved to take her space on the couch in her absence. "I have the time, come on, we'll use the bedroom, the privacy and quiet will likely help."

Aayla fell in step behind her and followed her back the way she'd come and through into the bedroom. The younger human paused considering how to start them off, "Alright, why don't you go climb on the bed, maybe try sitting cross legged?"

This apparently was not entirely unexpected as far as the Jedi was concerned and Aayla climbed onto the mattress without question and got herself situated.

"Alright, I don't know if the Jedi have a specific system set up for something like this…but the first step to learning Occlumency, the right way, is to use meditation to feel for your — well what you'd call your Force I guess. We'll be seeing about finding its source."

This produced a pleased smile from Aayla before the woman turned thoughtful. "There is a wrong way to learn this then?"

Hermione had to fight the urge to wince, yes, there was definitely a wrong way to learn Occlumency. "Yes…maybe ask Harry about that some time? The first person to try teaching him Occlumency did a lot more harm than good when he instructed him."

Aayla seemed to accept that at face value before refocusing. "Actually, the Jedi do have a few methods for meditation, and we spend a great deal of time using it to feel the Force flowing into us."

That wasn't the first time Aayla had mentioned the Force flowing 'into' her if Hermione recalled correctly. "More questions than answers there…" She murmured absently. "You would say then that the source of your mag — Force is external then?"

Aayla's brow furrowed at what must have seemed a question with an obvious answer to the Jedi. "Yes, of course. Should I not?"

Hermione had no answer to that so she shifted gears. "What does it feel like to you when it does so?"

The Twi'lek Jedi paused, thinking on that. Perhaps she had never been required to put it into words before? Maybe it was something Jedi just understood automatically?

"Energy," Aayla eventually ventured. "Or perhaps warmth, flowing or…seeping inwards, I can feel it, sense its presence in the world around me as I draw on it."

Well that was certainly different, the Jedi really did do things differently it seemed. "Could you turn that same sort of attention inwards and use it to examine the Force already in yourself?" Hermione asked leaning herself against one of the dressers.

That brought the other woman up short and Aayla seemed to consider just how to answer that. "Yes, we can. Though it is only to a limited degree so far as I know. As I understand it, we prefer to study the world around us rather than focus on ourselves over much."

Hermione guessed she understood the philosophical purpose behind such an approach, but it wasn't really important to what they were doing. "Occlumency is not about dwelling on yourself, not in the way I think you worry about. Your needs and wants above what is around you or happening with others and such." She paused trying to find the words to explain it. "Occlumency is all about self examination, understanding how one's own self works and thinks. Like figuring out how an engine is put together and why it is set up the way it is. Does that make sense?"

Aayla nodded, apparently seeing the distinction between the various attitudes described.

"Good, can you try that for me now then? Can you tell me what you sense of yourself?" The human girl asked moving to grab a seat in the room's chair.

"Yes," Was the simple answer as Aayla settled into place and closed her eyes allowing her hands to come to rest on her knees. As the silence began to stretch, Hermione could begin to actually feel the raw magic in the air about them, ebb and flow occasionally as Aayla worked to turn her focus inwards instead of outwards.

It was a good ten minutes before they achieved results, with Aayla finally speaking. "Energy, the Force, in every cell in my body. Fed by the Force…"

While Aayla couldn't see it, Hermione nodded agreement, that had been the answer she had been expecting. "Alright, and from where does that energy flow into your cells from?"

The answer in return was almost too quick, something memorized by rote most likely. "Outside myself."

Hermione felt a small smile twitch her lips. It seemed the Jedi were good at getting someone to remember their studies. "Does it?" She asked calmly, her challenge simple and quiet.

Aayla paused, clearly not expecting to be questioned on that point. "I—I think so?"

Perhaps a prod in the right direction then? "Some of it does come from without, I am sure." She conceded. "And I think this is perhaps the point at which we find where the Jedi and my own people differ."

She paused stubbing a finger on her knee while she thought, the alien woman on the bed merely watching her patiently. "You, the Jedi that is, look without for your strength; we on the other hand look within. We are aware that our bodies filter magic, or the Force if you prefer, from outside ourselves, but that's not precisely its only source."

Looking back up Hermione could tell Aayla was listening avidly. "Focus on that energy you were talking about, get a feel for its ebb and flow within you. Some of it, perhaps even the bulk of it, considering your training, will almost certainly come from outside yourself, but where does the rest come from?"

Aayla promptly closed her eyes and assumed an expression of intense concentration. This time when the Jedi turned inwards Hermione pulled out her book and set to work. This next part could very well take a while, even with Aayla's apparent aptitude for the task. She might as well make the most of the time in the meanwhile.

* * *

Corellia, Corellia System

Corellian Sector of the Core Worlds

Erel Versos, decorated Admiral of the Republic Navy, currently stationed in his home sector of Corellia. A man who contrary to the stereotypical Corellian attitude was a quiet cautious sort.

He currently stood in his quarter on his current flagship dialled in to a secured line with Senator Garm Bel Iblis. The leader of his homeworld and its surrounding space.

He stared at the holographic senator with inscrutable eyes, pursing his lips in quite thought, his hand stroking his chin before he finally spoke after long consideration. "Just how certain are you of the validity of this evidence?" He asked in a calm measured voice, gesturing vaguely to the data pad currently hooked into the holoprojector, downloading data being sent to him by the Senator on the other end of the line.

"If you are wrong, and we were to go ahead with the measures you are proposing…It would be treason." He stated baldly.

The senator nodded soberly, his usually genial and gregarious attitude absent. "I'm as certain as I can be. My own intelligence officers have already confirmed much of it, and I myself saw the live footage of the attack on the Jedi Temple…"

The Admiral cursed rather viciously under his breath, before running a shaking hand back through his hair. He had been hoping for some hope that the Senator was mistaken. This— was so much more to deal with that what he'd expected to find himself with when he'd woken up that morning.

"Alright," He sighed eventually, actually managing a somewhat weak smile, that resembled a grimace. "I was intending to retire soon anyways. Maybe try for a job in home sector security or something like that…We'll still need to be cautious though."

The dark smile he received in return was sympathetic. "Of course we will, as you said, it will be treason as far as the Chancellor and his followers will be concerned. What do you think you can manage without drawing too much attention to what you're doing?"

The erstwhile Admiral paused, his mind hurriedly running through a myriad of possibilities. "More, once I've seen to transferring myself back into the Corellian sector navy of course…But I could see us, raising a 'relief fleet' to help those suffering from the fallout from the war without drawing too much attention. I imagine we could draw upon some reserves or ships from a mothball without raising suspicion…" He paused here and looked to the Senator. "Do we even have a mothball?"

The amused snort from Garm, was answer enough in its own right. "You'd better believe it. I take it you've never heard of the Corellian ship graveyard then?"

Erel quirked an eyebrow at him in response, taking a cautious sip from a hip flask. "No, I can't say I have."

The senator nodded amiably. "Not really surprised I suppose. We don't talk about it a lot, don't want some skinflint coming along and lifting something from inventory to make a quick cred after all." He allowed. "It's been around forever though really, some of the ships lined up in there, are as old as Corellian space flight. A lot of the Old Republic Navy, which wasn't outright decommissioned and disposed of has ended up there."

Garm waved absently. "Its mostly old stuff of course, but some of it is bound to be suitable for refit."

The Admiral had to admit he was intrigued. "Can you give me some idea just what I might find out there?"

A wry smile was what he got in response. "You know how it is with us Corellians, mostly transports, freighters and corvettes…but there'll be a few cruisers in there as well. Can't say I have a manifest on hand though."

The Admiral replaced his flask at his hip. "I'll take a look as soon as I can then."

"And what of your current command?" The Senator asked cautiously.

"I'll have it transfer out of sector before I come over. Not that it'd be much of a problem I imagine. It's mostly medical frigates and such anyways. We only have a pair of cruisers for protection." Erel relayed blandly.

"Any hope we could…" Garm trailed off as Erel started shaking his head.

"No, the crews are almost entirely made up of clones."

The Senator sighed regretfully, those ships would have been a boon after all. "A shame that, oh well. We'll have to be content with them being far away." He huffed a sigh and straightened his jacket as he drew himself up. "Very good then, I'll work on setting up everything I can so the yards are ready to begin refits as soon as you are. The corporations will likely kick up a bit of a fuss about having to put off some of their current contracts, but they'll do it if it's me that's asking."

The Senator yawned then, rubbing tiredly at his eyes and Erel chuckled lightly in amusement. "Not getting a lot of sleep right now I suppose?"

This earned a derisive snort from the other man, "Hardly any, not the least of which is because until half an hour ago, Arrianya was in the dining room breaking dishes." He noted dryly, referring to his wife, a woman Erel had occasion to meet once or twice.

"Why?" he asked, bemusedly.

An amused smile quirked the other man's lips. "She's…perturbed, at the level of duplicity on the Chancellor's part. Said she needed to work off some of the frustration. Used to be one of his biggest supporters before all this."

The Admiral nodded sagely in understanding. "Ah, I see."

"I'll make sure you have the engineers needed to check those ships too, for the moment however I must go. If I hope to sleep anytime soon I need to put in another call to the Senator from Kuat and get those matters sorted." The Senator noted wearily.

"Of course, good luck to you Senator." The Admiral said, graciously accepting the implied dismissal.

"And to you as well Admiral, I fear we are all going to need some of it before the end."

* * *

Ravine Camp

Felucia

Hermione looked up quickly at the small gasp that escaped the other woman before Aayla's eyes popped open and quickly cut over to look at her.

"Some of it isn't flowing inward at all!" She said sounding surprised.

Hermione smiled encouragingly to the Jedi and nodded, Aayla was fast it seemed, this portion of learning Occlumency usually took far longer to successfully complete. "Good, I'm glad you've seen that. However, if I might ask, where does the rest of it flow from then? Can you find the source for me?"

Aayla nodded easily and quickly sank back into her meditations. The silence which followed lasting only a few minutes this time before she once again spoke. "A—well? Or a pool, within myself." She murmured, her eyes tightly shut as she focused her attention on what she sensed.

That was impressive, Hermione had to concede. She'd need to credit the effectiveness of the Jedi's meditation techniques if Aayla was progressing this quickly.

"Good." Hermione murmured admiringly. "No, very good! Now, if I asked you to find it again from scratch, do you think you could do it?"

The Twi'lek nodded seriously. "Now, that I know it is actually there? Yes, I think I could do so. Though I must say this has been much harder than I expected."

The chuckle this elicited from Hermione caused Aayla to open her eyes and look to her instructor questioningly. "I apologize," Hermione said forcibly collecting herself. "It is just that it often takes a student multiple sessions and a lot of practice at meditation to reach this point in the first place. I found it mildly amusing that you seemed frustrated by the fact you had not succeeded faster."

Aayla blinked in surprise at the unspoken praise before smiling, pleased she was in fact progressing well.

"Okay," Hermione said shifting to lean forward. "The next portion is all about practice okay? I imagine considering your success so far that you will have little in the way of difficulties with what I'm asking. Simply put I just want you to work on finding that 'Well'. It's what my people refer to as a Magical core, so I want you to practice finding and tapping into it as easily as you do your normal abilities."

The Jedi nodded calmly, looking thoughtful as she absorbed the instructions. Hermione seeing she seemed to understand the purpose of the instructions pushed to her feet. "Okay, I'll just leave you to do that for a bit. I need to check on Harry any ways. I'll warn you though, take your time." She said pointing to the older woman sternly. "The process can often be exhausting, it's part of the reason I had us do this in the bedroom. This way if you burn out, you can rest comfortably on the bed."

Aayla inclined her head in understanding before pausing and looking thoughtful. "I meant to apologize by the way. I had not intended to er—monopolize your bed in such a way."

Hermione smiled, waving off the apology easily. "It's alright, you needed the rest, and besides we managed."

This produced a knowing and mischievous smile from the Jedi. "Yes, you two seemed quite…comfortable, on that couch this morning."

Hermione felt her cheeks heat as she blushed spectacularly. "T-that wasn't the usual for us, I assure you, it's just…"

Aayla raised her hand placatingly. "No need to explain yourself Hermione, it is not my business in the end."

Still Hermione felt the need to clarify matters lest their guest get the wrong impression. "No, I really should explain. Harry and I — we're friends, though I imagine you find this somewhat hard to believe considering the single bed. That was just a mix up with the quartermaster though!"

Aayla had plenty of experience with supply mix ups, so she nodded sympathetically. "Still, it is not right that I take the only bed you have. If you would prefer, tonight I can sleep on the couch and you two can make use of the bed."

This merely reinvigorated the blush and Hermione struggled to remain calm. "I uh—I'd appreciate the bed back it is true. Perhaps we should cycle who gets the bed each night?"

Aayla merely shrugged. "Perhaps, or someone can sleep on the ship? I imagine it is more than secure enough for our needs, though perhaps not so homey. Besides Jedi seldom need excessive amounts of sleep."

"Yes, well, perhaps that would work." Hermione said, gladly latching onto the notion earning an amused shake of the head from Aayla.

Hermione decided it was time to pursue a tactical retreat in order to preserve what dignity she retained, moving towards the door. "Well, we've made some decent progress today. I'll leave you to practice for a while shall I?"

This was clearly rhetorical as she was out the door as soon as she'd finished, mercifully missing the knowing smile which answered her antics before the Jedi once again turned to her meditations.

* * *

Corellia, Corellian System

"Those crazy sleemos want us to do what?" Chief Engineer Davin Krex demanded skeptically. Apparently that question was rhetorical however as he continued without waiting for an explanation from his colleague who had actually brought the directive from on high. "Why the Kriff would we need those old wrecks all of a sudden? The war should be over soon enough now right? That's what all the newsies are saying after all!"

His assistant shrugged tiredly, largely unfazed by his boss' sometime histrionic tendencies. "Look boss, I don't know. All I've been told is that we have an order from both Admiral Versos and the Senator's office, saying that we need more ships than the shipyards can readily produce from scratch in short order." He explained patiently.

"They said something about how it's to do with them wanting to put together some relief convoys or something."

The chief leaned back in his chair tiredly and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Alright, alright, fine. I guess I should try to look at the bright side. It could after all be a lot worse."

He considered the vessels he was being asked to retrieve from the graveyard for refit. "They're not actually wrecks I suppose, despite what I said…And some of them old ships were real beauties, it'd be nice to see some of them up close I guess."

His friend smiled knowingly, if there was one thing the boss enjoyed it was old ships. Davin continued, for the moment ignoring his friend's expression. "For the most part they're good designs too if I recall, who knows we might get a few more ships out of this than you might expect. Heck, we're getting paid either way, and it'll probably be a far sight more interesting than overseeing the repair yard." He said gesturing to the slipways visible from his office window.

"That's the spirit sir." his friend encouraged.

"Alright, alright…" The chief conceded rolling his eyes. "Get me a crew trained for EVA and a shuttle or two and we'll get a start on that right away."

The sudden shift in attitude brought his colleague up short. "Uh—sir? It's kinda getting late." He ventured uncertainly, after all nobody appreciated being forced to work overtime unless they were hard up for creds.

"Now who's whining?" Davin jabbed amiably before shaking his head. "Look, we're not going to try and get any of them moving tonight. I just wanna get a read on just what's up there and what might be fixable."

Hearing that stilled the assistant's unease and he nodded acceptance. The chief smiled ruefully at the other man, "It'll be good for the boys to see it for themselves too, before having to work on those things. Give them a chance to get used to the idea."

His friend nodded. "Sure boss, I was just worried you were gonna have up on a late shift trying to move some old bruiser into drydock.

"Nah, I may be old but I'm not crazy," The chief stated waving that off. "You don't do that kind of work tired, too much risk of a blowout with old equipment." He pointed out then paused considering. "See that we have some tugs and fire control ships ready for tomorrow though would you? Accidents still happen."

"I'll get right on that," was the prompt reply.

It was amusing to note that the formerly indignant chief engineer now looked eager at the prospect of their newest contract. "You know, this might actually be fun?"

* * *

Abandoned Battlefield

Felucia

The clone that was kneeling in the brush beside the detritus and blood strewn battlefield while touching a gloved hand to a print in the loamy earth was of a very different breed than those who had taken to the field in swarms not so long before, or even the one who now stood a few feet away with his augmented helmet under his arm.

This clone was a Commando, the best of the best as far as the clones were concerned. The best trained and the best equipped - as was obvious by the mud splattered set of Katarn class clone trooper armour. The built in sensors in the helmet scanning the print before him.

It wasn't very deep he noted, whatever kind of footwear had made the print was no armoured combat boot. The only detail of real note were the unrecognizable symbols which had apparently been stencilled into the boot's sole.

"You say they appeared from nowhere?" the Commando simply known as 'Hammer Lead' asked the Commander who waited patiently nearby, turning his helmeted head so the faintly glowing face plate was regarding the man.

Bly straightened at being addressed. He was nervous, had been ever since 'the incident' as he thought of it. It was all very confusing to him, and the presence of a Commando did nothing to allay that sense of unease. "It sure looked that way," He agreed after a moment, "We have the footage from our helmet cams if you want it…"

Hammer Lead, nodded sharply, "We'll definitely have a look at that in a bit." He agreed before indicating the boot prints. "We have some tracks here, leading in from that direction." He indicated, pointing off further into the brush. "Any idea why the Jedi wanted to come out here?"

 _The Jedi_ , it was such an impersonal way to refer to one of their former comrades. It made it easier. Easier to believe what they'd been told, and easier to accept what they had been forced to do because of it. Bly shook his head, trying to clear those uncomfortable thoughts. "No, not really. I could tell something was bothering her though. You know how Jedi can be I assume? I think she sensed something."

The Commando couldn't help but hum in agreement. Jedi were weird, they and their…Force. It really made very little sense as far as most Clones were concerned, but its effectiveness was unquestionable.

"It's odd…" He mused, "While I can clearly see tracks leading in, I can't see any leading away again."

Bly nodded agreement, "Yeah, weird right? It was like they teleported."

While the look Hammer Lead gave Bly was mostly concealed behind his faceplate, the Commander nevertheless got the skeptical intent behind it loud and clear.

He raised one of his hands defensively, "Look, I know how it sounds, I don't know what else to say though. They were here, there was a loud crack and then they were gone. It's all on my cam if you don't believe me."

The commando paused considering the commander, clearly trying to gauge his sincerity. Eventually he must have decided to accept that as he nodded, "Why do you say 'and then they were gone', what do you mean by that?"

Bly huffed a tired sigh. "I mean it was like they turned on their heel and suddenly they weren't there anymore."

 _Could be some kind of cloaking tech I suppose…_ The Commando speculated internally, though he hadn't heard of a modern cloaking device which was small enough for personal use. Current scanners had little difficulty seeing through the old ones. "Any further sightings?" He asked, already guessing the probable answer.

The commander shook his head, "No, I have some of my men going around double checking. Some weird stuff going on to be sure, but no sight of the Jedi as yet."

"Weird stuff?" Hammer Lead asked promptly.

A helpless shrug was the reply. "Weapons and supplies going missing from the armoury, a whole Charger Frigate up and disappearing from its hangar back at base without any cameras seeing it take off…"

The Commando had to admit that was a bit more than he'd expected when the Commander had said it was 'weird'.

"When was this?"

The Commander grimaced. "While we were out here the first time, likely concurrent with the incident. General Secura's…The Jedi's quarters were also broken into from the looks of it, though there's still no sign of who did it on the cams though."

The Commando let the commander's slip of the tongue go unquestioned. You didn't work and fight along someone for so many years and just stop thinking of them by their name from one day to the next.

"Have the droids and your techs check for tampering." He instructed and the Commander nodded. It was likely he already had something like that underway himself, but it didn't hurt to be certain.

"What are you thinking?" Bly asked eventually. "Some kind of extraction?"

Hammer lead shook his head. "No, something about all this feels….spur of the moment. Though I can't say for certain until I know more. I can't help but wonder if your thieves are related to all this though…"

They both fell silent then for a while, each considering all they knew thus far. It was the Commando who broke the silence several minutes later. "You say you successfully killed her though, yes?"

"I'm reasonably certain, yes." Bly confirmed, "She was hit multiple times, I can tell you that for sure, but without a body…"

The Commando nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, my team and I will search around and see if we can turn up anything. Thank you for your assistance Commander."

Bly heard the implied dismissal loud and clear, saluting before departing to see to his newly assigned tasks.

The Commando waited until he was certain he had passed beyond hearing range before connecting with his helmet's built in comm to the rest of his unit who were dispersed throughout the brush around him. "What do you guys think of this?"

His second in command, a commando named Stryker answered first. "It's weird ain't it? Her disappearing like that?"

A strangled chuckle sounded in the speakers a moment later as another of the squad stifled his incredulity. "Not to mention the string of weird thefts around the same time…Think the commander is being straight with us?"

Hammer Lead nodded promptly. "I think so, yes. Bly isn't the sort to spin a fanciful story."

That produced a shake of the head from the other clone. "We have to find this Jedi, or the brass will have our heads. A message from Felucia to the Jedi Temple just prior to the attack was what the brief said. If this is linked to that in some way…"

Their squad leader nodded agreement. They only had as much as they did thanks to the tech who had poured over the Temple ruins. All they'd managed to retrieve from the purged comm archives was a small log noting that a message had passed on General Secura's secure line to someone within the Temple. No further details, but it was still suspicious.

"Fan out, see if you can find anything that's been missed, once we're done here we'll check back at base. Somebody somewhere must have missed something." He decided, and the other Clones murmured acknowledgements before heading back into the brush.

Hopefully they would find something soon. He couldn't imagine Command would be happy with a mess like this.

* * *

Ravine Camp

Felucia

Aayla pushed to her feet, sliding off the bed before stretching. It was always thus after a long session meditating she found, sore but satisfied. That was the way of things.

It was a pleasant bonus to find she felt she had accomplished something worthy that day with her efforts under Hermione's guidance. She had indeed been very surprised when, with the young brunette's gentle assistance, she had found an actual wellspring of the Force within herself.

She'd never that she could recall heard of such a thing from the Jedi, and the fact that such a thing even _existed_ likely had many interesting implications for the Order.

Pacing out of the bedroom and back into the common area she felt about with her senses only to find that aside from the feline in the arm chair and the passed-out slobber monster on the carpet the tent appeared abandoned.

However, she did indeed hear the faint sound of voices echoing in from outside the tent and moved to follow it back to its source. Stepping outside a few moments later to find Harry and Hermione standing outside the mouth of the cave, staring at a wand which was hovering in the air above Harry's open palm pointing straight up into the sky.

Apparently, whatever the pair had been trying to achieve this result was not what was desired, as Harry ran an irritable hand back through his hair whilst glaring accusingly at the focus as it hung there in the air.

"Well…crap." He eventually ventured.

This drew an amused snort from his friend who moved to bump his shoulder with her own. "That is one way to put it I suppose." Hermione agreed.

He sighed, allowing the tension to seep from his shoulder and shook his head ruefully. "So, I guess this means Sirius is either on a spaceship, or is somewhere off in—" He waved vague towards slowly dimming sky. "That direction. Still, I suppose I should be grateful it detects him at all right? Hopefully that means he's still alive out there somewhere…"

His friend leaned in more purposefully this time and wrapped him in a comforting hug. "He is Harry, you have to believe that." the brunette murmured tenderly.

Harry returned her hug and for a moment Aayla felt as though she were intruding as their guards dropped somewhat allowing their emotions and power to be sensed.

She'd suspected that there was something between these two, even if they could not admit it, to her or even to themselves. Still it was one thing to suspect it and entirely another to actually feel the affection and fondness these people felt for one another. It was not so hard to recognize what it meant. After all at one time she had felt something similar for another herself.

Still, Hermione had not been lying, when she'd stated they were friends. Technically this was true, she could feel it, but they both clearly wished it could be more, and felt that it was impossible for it to be so..

She hoped they would figure it out, they were fortunate indeed to have a person who felt so about them in their lives. It was not something that should be lost due to ignorance. She wished she were so fortunate as to live a life that allowed for such things. Perhaps someday, but she was not hopeful. In the meantime, perhaps she could help bring these two together? If they didn't figure it out on their own that was.

Eventually the pair relaxed and returned to watching the wand, and Aayla decided it was high time she announced her presence.

At the sound of her politely cleared throat, the pair jumped slightly, "Hello you two, might I ask what is going on?" She asked indicating the wand lest they misunderstand and assume she was prying into their personal affairs.

Harry smiled ruefully, once he sorted out just what she was referring to. "Sorry, just looking for someone is all."

She had gathered that much from what she'd overheard, but then again it was good to know she'd understood what was going on correctly. "One of those who came through the portal before you?" She asked, remembering that they'd mentioned people had passed through the portal before, "I seem to recall you mentioning that your people believed it was instant death?

Harry grimaced, nodding agreement. "Yeah, though the one we're looking for in specific went through accidentally. Though I suppose there's a chance that some of the others who went through might still be around too…"

"Accidents as well?" She wondered aloud, trying to get an image of just how a portal might be situated so that someone might accidentally pass through it.

Harry shook his head wearily. "No, the others to pass through were criminals, criminals who had earned the death penalty."

Aayla winced at the notion of criminals with powers similar to the ones these two possessed running amok through the galaxy. "Here's hoping they're not still running around too eh?" Harry remarked dryly seeing her expression.

Aayla nodded before refocusing on the matter at hand. These two were clearly very concerned about the one they were hoping to find still alive on this side of the portal. "Perhaps…once we leave this planet I might assist you in finding this person you're looking for then?"

Harry nodded his thanks. "That would be appreciated." He agreed.

"Might I ask just who they are?" She probed.

Harry hummed thoughtfully rubbing at his face with one hand while collecting the wand from the air with the other. "Yeah, sure. His name was…is, I suppose, Sirius Black. Merlin only knows if that's the name he's going by around here though, but yeah, Sirius Orion Black. He's my godfather."

The Jedi couldn't say she was familiar with that particular title and cocked her head at them queryingly. "Sorry, I don't think I've heard that term before, godfather?"

Here Hermione spoke up. "In the context we're using it in? It just means that Sirius was assigned by Harry's parents, before they died, to see to Harry's upbringing in the event they passed."

Harry nodded sober agreement. "He wasn't able to actually do that, the reason why is complicated, but for all that he was…is, one of the only links I have to my parents. Until he got sent here of course."

Aayla blinked in surprise, she hadn't been aware that Harry was an orphan. "I'm sorry, you have my condolences." She might have had little experience with parents herself, but she knew when someone was grieving their absence and what the appropriate response to finding that out was. "If I might, assuming it isn't too painful, may I ask how they died?" She asked delicately.

There was an ever so slight ripple in Harry's Occlumency barriers and she caught a flicker of his emotions and power before they were once again hidden away. Still it was enough to feel grief, pain and regret loud and clear before they were silenced.

"It's fine, I never really knew them. I was just a baby when they died." He explained, pausing in thought for a moment. "It's a complicated story all told, however the simplest and quickest answer I can give you is that they died when a Dark Lord attacked our home."

This understandably produced a reaction from Aayla and Harry chuckled darkly in acknowledgement. "Yeah I thought that phrase might mean something to you too."

She nodded quick agreement collecting herself. "My apologies, but yes. I don't know if I specifically mentioned it before but the one who orchestrated the plot to destroy the Jedi would be what we refer to as a Dark Lord of the Sith."

Harry nodded, "You've mentioned the Sith before I believe. If they are led by Dark Lords, then you have my sympathy, I spent a good portion of my youth fighting one."

That certainly ignited a number of questions in her mind, but she needed to follow her current line to its end before she could pursue that further. "Might I ask why this Dark Lord you mentioned attacked your family?"

It did not escape Aayla that Hermione leaned comfortingly into Harry's side, simply aiding him with her presence there. Harry huffed a sigh as he considered that. "That — is a very long story. I will tell you about it if you wish to hear it, but understand that it will take a great deal of time to explain and it is not a particularly happy story."

The Jedi nodded comprehension. "I understand, and I apologize if you do not wish to explain this right now. I just—I guess I just hoped to get to know you two a bit better. I know very little about you despite everything."

This produced a sober nod in return and he drew his wand from one of his holsters, conjuring a set of chairs from thin air.

Hermione was not idle as he worked using her own wand to spark a number of levitating blue flames into existence, which then moved off to float in the air about them, offering a degree of illumination in the slowly fading light of late evening.

"Might as well get comfortable," Harry murmured absently. "This is going to take a while I think."

* * *

Supreme Chancellor's Office

Coruscant

It was a strange, intoxicating thought, to the one known as Darth Sidious, that he could now move openly under that name should he so desire.

While his victory was not so complete as he had perhaps hoped, he was still deeply satisfied with the results he had achieved against the Jedi Order and their bloated corpse of a Republic. Reports poured in of the way in which his forces had either driven back or annihilated the Jedi and their assets.

Not that there were not niggling little details which soured his success somewhat. The Jedi had after all been warned, had somehow known ahead of time that the attack was coming. The question now was…how?

It had taken the concerted efforts of many technicians and agents to learn that someone, almost certainly Aayla Secura judging by the line used, had called the Jedi Temple just prior to the attack. And that following this call an emergency meeting had been called which resulted on the Temple's security being brought to alert.

How though? How had Secura learned of his plans? He had been very careful, always possessing a number of backup plans and contingencies with which he could deal with leaks and failed operations. He knew of no way that the Twi'lek Jedi could have learned of what he planned at all, let alone on Felucia.

He knew a number of Commandos had been dispatched in that theatre by Republic Intelligence to determine the answer to just that question. However he was determined to send his own agents to follow up on that lead as well. Nothing could be left to chance.

The Inquisitorius, he mused. It was a small corp of Dark Side adepts at the moment, but it had proven reasonably effective. The pair which had struck at the Jedi Temple itself being the only ones to have disappointed thus far. The others had been more effective.

Perhaps he could dispatch some more senior Inquisitors to follow up on that lead then? In the meantime though…he needed to prepare for his speech to the Senate the next day. He had delayed as long as he had due to his injuries resultant from his battle with the Jedi in his office.

He knew however that if he wished to maintain control of the dying Republic he could not hold off forever. The victory of seeing the Republic die to be replaced by his Empire was the one he anticipated most of all. With it his control of the Galaxy would be complete. And the revenge of the Sith absolute.

* * *

Felucia

Ravine Camp

It was a few hours later that Aayla Secura was found still standing outside the cave, staring up at the stars as they wheeled overhead. She needed the quiet solitude she now enjoyed to simply come to terms with everything she had learned.

It was…a lot, to take in all at once.

Learning Harry had indeed encountered a Dark Lord before was surprising enough. Let alone that he had actively participated in a fight against said Lord.

Dark Lords were not all that...common a foe after all, and didn't tend to leave a wealth of survivors in their wake.

Except they _were_ common, at least where Harry was from it seemed. That would have been more worrying were it a disproportionate number when compared against the so called 'magical population'. However this was apparently not the case either.

About one a generation, with a small group of lesser followers were the norm on their world it seemed. But even still these twisted Force sensitives were not considerable in number next to the number of magical in total.

At first she'd been confused, not understanding that Force sensitives were simply more common wherever Harry and Hermione came from. The number when it had been revealed to her had staggered her. There were easily several million Force sensitives on their homeworld.

Millions, on a little insignificant rock of a planet un-ironically called 'Earth' by its inhabitants. That number was unheard of, even across the breadth of the entire galaxy.

While that was indeed fascinating and shocking, it was not so shocking as some of the other things she had learned.

Harry, it turned out, had not merely grown up and fought the killer of his parents. Laudable as that was. No, he had defeated him, personally. At the age of just seventeen.

As the stories Harry and Hermione told continued, gradually filling in details about their lives, she had come to understand that it was far more complicated than it sounded.

Voldemort, that was the monster's name. An odd one to be sure, but not to be underestimated because of it. He was no ordinary foe, no random madman, it seemed. He had been far more skilled and powerful than Harry at the time they had fought. Having literally decades of experience over his younger opponent.

And yet he had lost. Why? Harry simply called it 'dumb luck'. Hermione had called it careful planning and possibly some divine providence.

What it ultimately came down to was that in the end, this Voldemort had fallen because Harry was the one destined, by fate, magic, the Force or whatever else to bring him down.

Destined by prophecy. They did not share the details of it, simply stating that it had pegged Harry as the one 'chosen' to bring this Dark Lord down.

Harry had complained at the use of that particular phrase, when Hermione had used it while explaining how the magical populace of their nation regarded Harry.

A 'chosen one'. A powerful phrase among the Jedi, particularly when linked with a prophecy in such a way. It had certainly grabbed her attention.

Skywalker…many believed he was a 'chosen one. It was understandable why considering. He was undeniably powerful, and yet…

She sighed considering the other Jedi. And yet Anakin had not been the one to _literally_ alter the flow of history to save the Jedi Order. He had not been the one to defeat a true Dark Lord at the tender age of seventeen. _Harry_ had.

Was it possible the prophecy they had come to believe referred to Anakin all these years, in fact referred to Harry?

It was a…disquieting thought to contemplate. Anakin. She didn't dislike the man, but there was no denying he was brash, reckless and if she were being honest a bit arrogant at times.

Harry by contrast was a very different person. He was all Anakin was supposedly destined to be, and yet he was just about Anakin's mirror opposite.

She was stirred from these thoughts by the sound of feet scuffing on rough stone behind her and turned to see Harry and Hermione returning. They had left some time previous to give her some time to think on matters, only now returning to check on her.

Aayla smiled ruefully at them, "I apologize, it's all a lot to take in is all."

Harry smirked in amusement. "Not a problem, I know I find it hard to believe sometimes, and I was the one it was actually happening to."

She nodded acceptance, "I also wanted to thank you though."

"Oh, why?" Harry asked, clearly unsure what he could have done that helped her.

It took a moment for her to determine how she would explain. "You have to understand, I have always relied on the…unnatural insight I have into the people around me. My empathic abilities, my connection to the Force…I always knew more about the people around me than they realized. I simply hadn't understood just how much not being able to read you was starting to unsettle me."

She paced back towards them, "So learning about you, a bit about just who you two really are. Your history and such? It allows me to see you more clearly, understand a bit about who you are even without the use of my gifts."

Hermione considered her shrewdly. "You find not being able to read us uncomfortable?"

The Jedi smiled wanly. "It's a bit like having ear plugs in or a blast shield down over your eyes. Like having a sense cut off. I understand why you do it, but it is…odd when I am not used to feeling nothing from those senses."

This explanation caused Harry and Hermione to look to each other silently, seeming to communicate without words. For all she knew they were, perhaps that was another one of their many strange abilities? Eventually whatever they were communicating to each other resolved and Harry nodded shortly to Hermione who offered a wry smile before turning to regard her. "If you want, Harry and I could lower our defences when we're around you to make you more comfortable?" She suggested. "So long as you don't abuse the privilege of course. Some of the stuff rattling around in our heads is of course likely to be quite personal." She cautioned.

This concession was entirely unexpected to Aayla, and more than a little humbling. She had never encountered someone who reacted to her abilities as they had. "I would appreciate that, but only if it does not make you uncomfortable in turn." She unconsciously wrung her hands. "If it helps though, I generally can't outright read someone's mind unless I specifically set out to do so, and I'd be willing to bet you'd sense it if I did."

The pair nodded before sharing another look, and suddenly she felt their defences fade away sharply allowing their emotions to flood in around her, causing her to smile brightly. "Thank you. That is a great relief."

She paused considering how to express her gratitude. "I—as frustrating as it was to someone with my talents, that ability is wondrous. I want to thank you for not only foregoing its use to help me, but also for agreeing to teach me how to do it myself."

"It's no problem—" Harry started, but she waved that off.

"Still, it is appreciated, and I would like to offer repayment for your efforts on my behalf." She said simply.

This of course produced curious looks from the pair of humans, so she explained . "Hermione has shown me that it is possible to look within and find strength I knew nothing about. It is my understanding that this is your people's normal way of doing things." She said, half a question in her tone, quickly receiving a nod. "If you wish, I could teach you the opposite in return? The way the Jedi use to connect with the Force…or magic as you prefer. How to find some strength outside yourself. Would that be fair recompense?"

Harry looked to Hermione, and chuckled at something he saw in his friend's face, who in turn blushed before explaining herself. "Well, I suspect that both Harry and myself would be interested in what you suggest teaching us. I especially will never turn down knowledge freely given, but you should know that we didn't offer to teach you to in-debt you to us in some way."

Aayla laughed, "If I suspected you had, I would not be offering to teach you, and it is fortunate in many ways that you did not, as the Jedi and myself already owe you far more than we can ever repay." She murmured before raising a hand to stop any coming protests. "You have quite likely saved us, there is no arguing with that fact. The Order with your time travel and myself when you personally healed me after the ambush by my men. There is no denying these things, and thus we owe you."

Seeing their still uncertain and cautious expressions she smiled wanly. "I would consider it a favour then, if you would simply accept my attempts to repay you in even this small way by allowing me to teach you in turn." They were cautious but eventually nodded and she straightened, emboldened by their acceptance. "Good, now I suppose it is somewhat late for a proper lesson of the sort Hermione gave me earlier, yes? However if you would allow me, I will leave you with a small task instead before we all attempt to get some sleep tonight?"

Harry and Hermione silently indicated they would hear her out. "Hermione showed me how to look inward and follow the flows of energy back to their source. I would simply ask you to the same, however I would ask that you instead follow the flows which do not originate from within, follow those ones to their sources. You need not attempt to grasp or absorb that energy yet, simply identify from whence it comes."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "I think we can manage that." He allowed, then smiled and nodded back towards the tent. "Now, all that aside, would you like some food? I have some prepared if you are hungry."

Whatever she was going to say to that was lost when her stomach grumbled rather loudly, eliciting laughter from all present. "I — I think I could use a little food yes." Aayla admitted with as much dignity as she could muster over her laughter.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Internet the next couple days may be spotty for me, so I apologize ahead of time for any delays responding to reviews.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay. Writing in general has been a little difficult lately, but I've finally made a bit of progress on this. Two quick notes. First my PA TR E ON Account is finally set up a little better with a more comprehensive about segment and stuff. Patrons will now be able to vote on stories I should work on and such. I can officially afford a small meal at Mcdonalds once a month I believe. Thanks to one particularly generous person. Otherwise, just a warning I will try and get out another update for Cradled in Crimson Arms in the next few days. I will be somewhat busy in the coming weeks so whatever I update next might be a bit.

* * *

 **Emperor's Chambers**

 **Imperial Senate Building**

 **Coruscant**

Mas Amedda was a worm, Sheev Palpatine decided, a useful worm of the bootlicking, social climbing variety. Were he not so useful, he suspected he would have killed said worm in as messy and painful a way as possible a long time ago.

As it was, Sidious had been required to exercise a great deal of his self control to prevent himself from frying the officious Chagrian where he'd stood.

The newly minted Grand Vizier of the now Galactic Empire, had fled rather hurriedly from Palpatine's wrath after he'd brought him the full list of every traitorous system which had dared to abandon the Empire at its inception.

Had the Dark Lord suspected the full extent of the rot the Jedi had spread and spurred to growth among the Senate, Sidious would have been less magnanimous in allowing those who opposed him safe passage out of Imperial space.

He'd only granted that…boon, in the interest of preventing further rebellions which might have flared up should he have violently snuffed out those who would mar the birth of his Empire.

It was…worse, than he'd initially suspected based on the few 'brave' senators who'd stood up in opposition upon the announcement of the new Order. Declaring their system's or sector's secession from the Empire.

If he were honest, he'd been expecting Corellia, Chandrilla and Alderaan, even if he'd hoped they were cowed enough to fall in line. He had most certainly not been expecting Rendili, Kuat or Pantora to follow them into rebellion.

Of all those who had seceded, perhaps a few hundred more on top of those lost to the Separatists three or so years before, he most dearly resented the loss of Kuat. The planet was home to the Galaxy's largest shipyard. And he had expected it would be the source of the Empire's new battle fleets. That this defiance, by a sector which should have been among the Empire's most loyal, would spark further resistance from the remaining separatist holdouts, merely served to add insult to injury.

Even now, hundreds of former senators fled Imperial space for their homes where they would no doubt raise up armies in opposition to him.

All was not lost however. His plan was not a failure just yet. No, not yet.

He still controlled what had once been the Republic Fleet, and the bulk of the former Grand Army of the Republic. That wasn't even counting the assets he had kept secret from almost all others…The Inquisitorius was only the beginning of these hidden forces.

Nevertheless he continued to struggle with his temper as he pondered the issue.

He did at least continue to hold the most important piece in this game of Galactic dominance. He had Skywalker in the palm of his hand so long as he held the promise of a way to protect that which the fool boy loved.

He was not so foolish as to believe himself beyond the point of potential failure however. One assumed absolute victory in such things at their peril, a lesson he and indeed many Sith before him knew all too well. The Jedi certainly seemed to have more tricks up their sleeve than he'd expected however. Even this late in the proceedings.

His agents were on Felucia even now, investigating one such…trick. The news he was receiving from them was puzzling though. Reports of a certain Jedi appearing on the footage of a _concealed_ security camera with an unknown male, inside a communications centre on the Republic base. This was at the same time, all evidence and reports had her a goodly distance away leading Republic forces into battle.

He wished now that security footage was available of the communications equipment inside of the comm room she had commandeered, not merely the doorway which she had appeared in, even as he understood why such places were not recorded for security reasons.

The Clones stationed in there, did not seem to recall the woman entering, a state of affairs his agent had only managed to confirm beyond doubt by killing three of them in lengthy interrogations.

Regardless, the source of this…anomaly and the Jedi's untimely warning, would be found in short order he was sure. After all, he reflected, even a Jedi could not have truly been in two places at once!

* * *

 **Ravine Camp**

 **Felucia**

It had unfortunately been longer than Hermione had hoped before she was able to really examine their new space-going acquisition in any real detail. The previous day had mostly been taken up with supervising Aayla through the next couple steps of her Occlumency training, her and Harry practicing their own more 'Jedi' approach to magic and further expanding the ward bubble to allow them greater freedom of movement should they need it.

The vessel, which currently lacked a name beyond an alpha numeric military designation, was long. Though it could not really be described as sleek per se as it possessed sections which alternated between round and bulky at the front to sharp and angular throughout most of the body and there were three large engines of some kind which dominated the back. The ship fairly bristled with weapons though - at least to her eyes.

The entire ship was painted either an off-white grey or a deep crimson red. Hermione had to, albeit reluctantly, admit to herself that she was not really an expert when it came to vehicles of any sort. That had more been her father's thing before he had passed. She missed him, he'd have loved the chance to examine a starship she reflected wistfully.

She was also not a rocket scientist of any kind, so she listened closely to what Aayla told her about the vessel so as to make sense of what she was seeing when she looked the thing over.

It was, she was told, a 'Consular class diplomatic cruiser', which had been given something called the 'Charger' refit to act as a sort of light frigate or heavy corvette for the Republic Navy. It was one hundred and thirty eight and a half meters long according to the measurements she'd taken, had a hyperdrive rating of 1.5 (whatever that meant), a shield grade more equivalent to that of a full tonnage Republic light cruiser and possessed five twin-linked turbo laser cannons as well as two point defence laser cannons.

Though from what she'd gathered the term 'laser' was a somewhat blanket term for most energy based weaponry in known space and had only a little to do with the way a device focused beams of coherent light.

Most of what was said about the ship's basic features frankly went right over her head. The details on the ship's structure and hull were not much better. The superstructure was made up of a material known as 'Trimantium' which was light but very strong like a more rugged version of titanium back home. The hull plating itself was composed of a material known as 'Doonium' which was very common in the manufacture of warship hulls but had the distinction of also being impregnated with 'Neutronium'.

Neutronium it was explained was not actually the material found at the heart of neutron stars as it would have been back on Earth. The name instead being a sort of marketing pitch more than anything. It did however possess one very important quality which made it invaluable in making the relatively small craft more durable. Neutronium dispersed energetic particles better than just about anything which could feasibly be used to plate an entire starship, making the Doonium plates significantly more resistant to energy weapons fire.

The interior of the ship, once she got the chance to climb inside was much different than that of the exterior. Apparently whomever had possessed this particular vessel had not insisted on stripping the ship of all it's peacetime amenities when it went through its refit. Thus the ship still possessed it's clean white wall panelling, rich blue carpets and comfortable quarters.

Following the brief tour of the ship led by Aayla, during which time they found it was indeed very richly appointed, especially the 'captain's' quarters which were housed in the forward modular 'pod' at the bow of the ship the three of them eventually settled in at the dining table in the ship's main mess. Hermione used the quiet which resulted from the other two eating a light snack to finish copying down her notes and ask a few questions. "Have you served on many ships like this one?"

"I have served and fought aboard them occasionally, yes. Crashed one into a planet even…" Aayla admitted looking a bit sheepish.

"Crashed?" Hermione asked, looking up skeptically, she was pretty sure that it wasn't as easy as it sounded to plow an advanced futuristic starship into a planet.

Aayla nodded. "The navi-computer was damaged while evacuating us from my previous flagship. The ship jumped into hyperspace unexpectedly and…well, long story short we only barely managed to miss hitting a star and crashed on a planet instead. On the positive side we ended up helping a group of local pacifists who were under attack by a Separatist assault force before escaping back to the Republic."

Hermione listened attentively to this, but couldn't help but notice that Harry seemed to be very focused on Aayla as well.

It was irritating that this bothered her as much as it did. Harry was certainly not paying Aayla any more attention than what was naturally due to someone telling a story. However a part of her nevertheless felt a twinge of jealousy. Hermione finished jotting down the notes and shook herself, mentally chastising herself for feeling that way. If there was one thing Hermione had learned to loath, it was jealousy. A side-effect she suspected of having been friends with and later dating one Ron Weasley.

A possible solution to the lingering emotion presented itself however. She thought perhaps that getting to know Aayla better, might in turn, help her to mitigate any such reactions in the future. "Aayla, I hope you don't mind me asking, but could you tell me a little more about yourself? Your history and such?"

She was surprised, considering how open her and Harry had been, when Aayla's expression became somewhat guarded and uncertain, before a rueful expression crossed the woman's face. "It is not a very happy tale Hermione."

The brunette winced and looked down. "Sorry, I—uh, I'll drop it."

Aayla sighed. "No, it's okay, I shouldn't get so uptight about it, especially considering what you've told me about yourselves… It is not a secret or anything." The Jedi paused scratching her head lightly, "I'll start with the basics I guess. As I may have told you I am what is known as a Rutian Twi'lek from the planet Ryloth. I am twenty-nine galactic standard years old."

"Twi'lek is your species correct? And you are twenty-nine years old…hmmm, I'll need to figure out how local years compare to Earth's…" Hermione muttered absently jotting that down under a new heading. "You mentioned you're Rutian, is that a nation of some kind on Ryloth?"

The Twi'lek in question shook her head. "No, it actually refers to my skin tone, which is a bit rare among Twi'leks."

"What other colours are common for Twi'leks?" Hermione asked still writing things down.

Aayla shrugged easily. "Green, pink, yellow, light brown, orange…Red is the most uncommon overall though."

"Is Ryloth the Twi'lek homeworld?" Harry asked, before Hermione could get to it. At Aayla's nod he pressed on. "What is it like? You mentioned you're from there, what was your experience with it like?"

"Ryloth is…harsh." Aayla said, sounding cautious again. "It has arid flatlands, plains and forests yes. But it also has large desolate rocky regions and volcanic wastelands. There are oceans but they are not very large. As for my experience there…I do not wish to paint an overly negative picture of my people, but it was not pleasant."

At their questioning looks she pointedly looked at Hermione's note book which the woman hurriedly snapped shut. This was not for the reports she would one day write up. "Ryloth is still heavily bound by the old ways, and despite many Twi'leks being out among the stars, Twi'lek culture has not changed significantly."

"Meaning?" Harry asked probingly.

A grimace crossed her face before she pressed on. "Slavery, it's an institutionalized mora of the culture there…" She explained in disgust. "Women are raised in their families until they can be sold as slaves. They then work as slaves until they are bought and freed by the one who will become their husband. They live at home, give birth to children and the cycle goes on."

"That sounds…" Hermione ventured uncertainly.

"Awful?" Was the suggestion that came back quickly. "It is," Aayla agreed rather bluntly. "And I have often hoped for a chance to return to try and make things better, but…" She shrugged helplessly.

"How did you get free?" Harry asked quietly.,

Aayla sighed. "I had reached the age at which I was to be sold. I was taken to the auction and even paid for by some lowlife or another. Then…well, long story short I was saved. Jedi Master Tholme and his Padawan Quinlan Vos were on a mission nearby and helped to rescue me. They found I was Force sensitive and brought me back to the Jedi. I was raised among the other younglings after that. I ended up being trained in the Jedi ways and at ten I was apprenticed to Quinlan who was by then a Jedi Knight."

She smiled fondly. "He was like a father to me and I respected him greatly." Here she paused grimacing. "A few years later there was an…incident, Master Vos and myself were drugged while on a mission, myself enough so that I couldn't even remember who I was, or where I had come from…"

She paused for a time to calm and centre herself. "I was…not myself during that time, and have no desire to return to it."

"That was why you purged the medicine we gave you yes? You thought you had been drugged again?" Harry asked gently, smiling slightly in sympathy at her.

She offered a weak smile of gratitude in return, "Yes, to this day I have some left in my system and cannot remember any of my past before that clearly."

Harry rolled his fingers on the table pensively before nodding. "Well, we have purgative potions….actually you were on one when you first woke up. If you wish, we could give you a couple doses and see if that helps get rid of the rest of the drugs." He offered.

She perked up considering the notion that she could get rid of the rest of the spice which remained in her body. "I would like that, though perhaps not right now?" She ventured, speculating as to what such a 'purge' might involve.

"Yeah," Harry agreed nodding, "They aren't terribly pleasant, so better not to do it while you need to see to other matters."

They were silent for a while as they considered what she'd said so far. "There really is not much more to tell. I eventually regained myself, with the help of my former master. I went on more missions for the Jedi, gaining experience. And was eventually granted the rank of Knight myself."

There was a hum from Hermione at that. "The Jedi almost sound like a monastic order…and yet they have terms like 'Knight' for ranks…perhaps they're somewhat like the Knight's Templar used to be then?" She muttered speculatively. Hermione cocked her head at her questioningly. "Do the Jedi take vows of service? If so to what?"

Aayla nodded. "The Republic, and upholding its founding principles, but also to the Jedi Code."

"Which is?" Hermione asked, finally feeling safe to reopen her notebook.

"The doctrine which dominates our lives and how we view and use the Force." Aayla said simply, before beginning her recitation. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force"

Harry, Hermione noticed had started frowning. "That seems a very…restrictive code." He said delicately and she had to nod in careful agreement.

Aayla seemed un-offended by that conclusion, "It is, and believe me when I say it oft times has resulted in arguments between Jedi over the interpretation alone. I—" She cut herself off sharply, perhaps uncertain how much she wished to reveal? Aayla was silent for a while before finally seeming to decide that she could trust these two at least not to judge her too harshly. "I personally prefer the older version. Though my adherence to it among other things has cost me somewhat in my prospects for advancement through the order."

Aayla recited the old code at their questioning glances. "Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force."

Hermione fell into a pensive silence, considering that for a minute. "The difference in the wording is subtle, but the meaning…"

"Is very different, yes." Aayla agreed.

Harry still looked wary though, "And following this alternate code is part of what has prohibited your advancement in the order?"

Aayla sagged somewhat, before nodding. "Yes…for example, the first line. Emotion yet peace, and the third line, Passion yet serenity." She smiled, seeming slightly chagrined, looking to her companions. "Most Jedi go through their entire lives struggling and striving for emotionlessness, mistaking it for serenity. Which is what we truly seek. I—for my part, struggle with maintaining emotional distance from my colleagues and my missions. Many Jedi believe I am too…passionate, and too prone to becoming attached to others. Something Jedi typically avoid at all costs."

"Why?" Murmured Hermione.

Aayla shot her a small sad smile. "Because we fear what happens when we become attached and that which we are attached to is taken away from us. Losing a loved one, can lead to many negative emotions," She sighed thinking of all the stories she had heard. "Many a Jedi have become open to the dark side's manipulations in their fear of losing a loved one. And have lost themselves in their pain and anger at the loss should such a thing come to pass. Becoming corrupted into something horrible." She said shuddering at the memories this topic brought up.

"I—admit, that whilst drugged I was not as ardent in resisting the dark side's pull as I normally am…" Aayla murmured tiredly. "and I had at one time come close to breaking the Jedi Code's prohibition on attachments. These failures have marked me somewhat in the eyes of the other Jedi as not being suitable for advancement beyond my current rank."

"That seems so unfair though!" Hermione protested. "Surely everyone makes mistakes."

Aayla grimaced and nodded firm agreement. "Yes…and if I'm being honest, I strongly suspect that most if not all of those who have advanced have made mistakes at one time or another...and are merely better at hiding them."

"I'm not sure I'd call those things you mentioned mistakes in the first place." Harry argued calmly. "First of all, you were not in your right mind in the first case you mentioned. And as to the second. I can understand caution certainly, given what you say, maybe even taking measures to be prepared to accept the loss of someone close to you, if you face this…dark side thing. But to cut that part of a person's life out entirely? That seems…"

Hermione shrugged at that second part. "Many monastic orders have a vow of chastity…" She cut off as Aayla snorted in amusement.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that the Jedi are not in fact bound by such a vow." At their surprised looks she explained. "Which isn't to say that we exactly take part in such things very often of course…I did mention control of emotions and passion being a core tenant of our order after all. But mating does occasionally occur for various reasons."

Harry grimaced, realizing the tone he'd taken up to this point. "Ah, alright. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so hard on your order. I just don't think that all that's overly healthy is all."

The Jedi was unoffended. "Many in the Order would agree I believe, myself included, but the rule stands for the moment." Harry nodded acceptance.

"I'm mostly worried about this whole…purging emotions thing." Hermione said frowning at her notes.

"Oh?" Aayla asked, apparently curious.

"Yes, look, I'm sure the Jedi are skilled at maintain an even keel, especially given what I know so far, but…" Hermione paused considering her words. "If you're constantly denying your emotions surely that must have consequences on your personal development?" She ventured, before explaining. "A child has a bad day or two and cries, maybe throwing a temper tantrum along the way. But eventually they learn how to handle being sad or angry without crying or pitching a fit. If they aren't allowed to get those experiences without a strong censure though…then I could see people struggling with emotional outbursts later on when confronted with real and more consequential issues."

Aayla paused considering the logic behind that. "I can see your point, and the sense behind it, but I admit I am not the one to debate such matters with. I am far from an expert on such things…"

The humans nodded agreeably while Aayla pondered that point. Eventually Harry smiled and changed subjects when the silence stretched too long. "So, 'Mione, you've had a while to look over the ship now right, got any ideas for modifications?"

Hermione blinked, slightly wrong-footed by the sudden change of topic, before regaining her composure and answering him. "Some ideas, yeah. I think I'll need some sample materials though, and I'll want to know how well insulated any of the electronics are before I can promise anything…"

That last part in particular drew a curious look from Aayla, so Hermione explained. "I don't know if this is a problem you've noticed, but we find when someone draws heavily on magic…or the Force, that electronics tend to malfunction."

The Jedi blinked and shook her head. "No, short of an absolutely massive outburst which physically damages the user's surroundings I can't say I've ever heard of the Force interfering with electronics."

Hermione pondered that then nodded. "Considering how advanced your technology is, I can't say I'm surprised you've moved past that issue."

Recalling what this pair had said about their homeworld not being capable of spaceflight Aayla understood how what Hermione described could be possible where they were from. "Well, the materials should be easy enough I suspect. The ship does carry a number of replacement parts and hull patches." The older woman speculated. "What parts of the ship do you want to take a look at modifying? It'd give me an idea what to grab from storage."

Hermione paused considering, "Hull plating, a bit of what the superstructure is made of and some of the wall paneling if you have some. That should be a good place to start I think."

Aayla nodded, she was sure that they had some of those materials they could use for tests. "What were you thinking you could modify?" She asked, fairly certain that when these two talked about modifications they were not talking about adding an aftermarket coolant pipe or a new paint job.

Hermione shrugged, "I can almost certainly fortify the strength of the ship's armour, unless this Doonium stuff or the Neutronium are resistant to magic or the Force?" Aayla indicated they were not. "Good, well that and maybe the superstructure as well."

"So you're saying you can use the Force to make the ship more durable?" Aayla asked to clarify.

Hermione nodded, frowning thoughtfully. "Yes, though it will take some time I think, and I would need to have access to each component I need to modify and carve some runes into them…"

It certainly sounded useful the Jedi had to admit. "Could you demonstrate perhaps, if I get you some scrap to try it out on?"

"Sure," Hermione ventured.

It was a couple minutes before Aayla was back hauling a small plate of grey metal and a long silver metal bar. Without waiting further she lifted the metal plate onto the edge of the table so one end was hanging over the edge by a wide margin.

Then, after ensuring the pair were clear she drew her lightsaber and promptly sliced a section off which clattered to the floor with a loud bang.

She raised an expectant brow at Hermione before stepping back.

Hermione stood up from where she was sitting and paced over, drawing her wand as she went. She then proceeded to surprise Aayla when she waved the little stick, causing the severed section to float back up to it's companion on the table before fusing the pieces back together seamlessly with another wave of her wand.

Aayla had to test the strength of the newly whole plate before stepping back shaking her head in amusement. "Always looking for new ways to blow my mind I see."

Hermione snorted in amusement before shifting the piece more fully onto the table and setting about writing runes in magnetic chalk on the back surface of the plate. It wouldn't hold as nicely as a permanent version she knew, but it would do for the test.

It took a few minutes work and a bit of energy but Hermione soon had the plate hanging off the edge of the table again. Aayla once again lined up and pressed her blade against the plate. And was suitably impressed when the blade met resistance it hadn't before. An acrid smell filled the air and after a few moments she withdrew her lightsaber.

There was indeed a scorched furrow in the metal, but it was relatively shallow and had taken far more effort to achieve than it would have normally.

Hermione smiled before once again repairing the damage. "That was just what I could manage with what I have on me. Making a proper job of it would require more time, but would be stronger and last better. I might be able to do a couple things to improve the effect but the more enchantments I try to layer in, the more energy intensive making it and up-keeping the effects it will be."

"Is this permanent?" Aayla asked, eyeing the plate, impressed by what she'd seen so far.

Hermione wobbled her head. "Sort of…I can make it so that it will recharge off ambient magic, until it's overpowered that is. If too much damage is done in too short a time it won't recharge fast enough and the enchantments will burn out. For example had you held your sword against that piece longer, you likely would have experienced the same amount of resistance for a time before it gave out all at once."

The other woman nodded, "That has great potential I think. Are you tired though, you mentioned it was labour intensive?"

The brunette shook her head. "Not really, that was a very basic job that was only mean to last a short time. Had the piece been larger, or the enchantment stronger, it would have taken more out of me. That's not counting the energy I would expend actually etching the runes of course."

Aayla nodded before smiling slightly, "Do you have to be the one etching the runes to make this work?" She asked, curious.

Hermione shook her head. "No, but I need to be the one to do the initial charging, as I have to layer in the intent behind the magic to make it work. And if the runes were accidentally mis-carved by someone else…"

This actually seemed to please Aayla, though Hermione didn't find out why until she explained. "If you show the Astro-droids what you want carved, they can easily etch the symbols for you. They'd be far more consistent and uniform than any organic could achieve."

This produced a smile from the human, "Ah, that could work nicely actually."

"They can also provide access to virtually any area of the ship and it's superstructure with enough time to prepare."

Hermione was bobbing her head thoughtfully now, "Then they will be invaluable I suspect. However I should warn you about something. This ship is…large, and even with help charging the runes, from you or Harry, it will take time to do everything we need to." She explained patiently. "Also…well, I'm not sure it'd be advisable to try and do this to a ship much larger than this. The energy requirements for this ship will be pushing the boundaries of what we here can safely enchant as it is I suspect."

The alien woman did not seem perturbed by that, "Got it, this will be a costly custom job as it were. Not something we can easily repeat whenever we want…"

The human woman acknowledged that, "At least in terms of enchantments on the physical structure of the ship itself, yes. I'm not certain, but I may be able to create some more extensive protections by creating ward plates and fusing them to the hull." She mused. "You mentioned these ships having shields already, these would basically be the same thing, just magical in nature I suspect…"

There was an amused huff from the other side of the table, and the two women looked over to see Harry smiling at them, "See, now you've done it, you've gone and gotten her started. By the end of this you probably won't even recognize the place!"

Hermione smirked at him, "Prat!" She snarked playfully.

"I had a question," Harry ventured once that was done, "Do you think we can fit the tent into one of the cargo holds?"

His friend quirked a brow at him, "You actually want to continue living in a tent when we've got this ship?"

"I don't blame him," Aayla laughed, "This ship is nice enough, but it lacks some of the amenities you have in that tent. Water for example, this ship has only a small storage tank, just enough to keep the crew hydrated between stops really. No showers, not of the sort that use water at least, and certainly no baths. The tent is more homey really, and the storage space is larger overall considering the whole…bigger on the inside thing you have going."

She held up a hand to stall any response from Hermione, "There's one other thing, it seems to form a sort of shield between my senses and what is inside, and the reverse when I am within. This is good because I doubt any Force user can detect you with just a casual survey while you are inside."

Hermione seemed surprised by all that, and Harry snickered a bit. "Looks like tent it is!"

His friend regained herself and promptly threw a wadded up napkin at him. "Alright, so the tent is better for the moment, but just you wait. I'll have this place a far nicer abode soon enough, just you see if I don't Harry Potter!"

Aayla was preparing to venture a comment of her own when a series of beeps sounded over the ship's intercom, causing her to leap to her feet. "That's the alarm I set on the comm system this morning, someone is trying to use a Jedi channel in system."

Harry and Hermione were hot on her heels as she rushed from the room.

* * *

Meditating…Sometimes it felt as though as Barriss ever did anymore was meditate. Not that there weren't very good reasons she spent so much of her time doing so. It did after all allow her time to analyze and control her emotions and actions. Something she desperately needed at the moment.

Back at the Jedi Temple, much of the time she'd spent among the mind healers had been spent merely rebuilding her ability to feel remorse and regret. No easy task considering the raging mad woman she'd been when first turned over to the healers. From there, it had been a matter of setting up coping mechanisms and 'safety nets' for her to fall back on when things got tough to manage.

Here and now however, she was half a galaxy away. With no mind healers and no 'safety nets' in sight. Unless you felt like counting the crash webbing that actually came with the Starfighter she was sitting in.

The only coping mechanisms she could currently avail herself of, in the current situation, were her meditations and basic breathing exercises…

Which were far less than she would have wished for, considering this was her first foray back out into the wider galaxy.

So she meditated…a lot.

She was fortunate at least that Master Ti seemed fairly accommodating with her extended silences, not bothering her with needless chatter or questions. Then again, she supposed if anyone should understand the need for extended periods of meditation, it was a Jedi Master…right?

Ironically, half the battle she was fighting now, was simply to keep her newly revitalized feelings of remorse and guilt under control. They were useful emotions, she was told. Useful to the healing process that was. However if given free reign they could ultimately be fairly damaging to her already crippled psyche.

She found herself wondering if she were fortunate enough that some of the Mind Healers were still among the living?

Barriss was drawn from these pondering by the chirping of an alarm on the console in front of her, causing her to sigh somewhat irritably before opening her eyes once more to glance over the controls.

It turned out it wasn't all bad news, the beeping was from the navicomputer. According to the readout they were closing on their destination, and would be dropping out of hyperspace shortly.

Straightening, she strapped herself back into her flight harness before calling over her shoulder to the craft's other occupant. "Master Ti, we are approaching Felucia. About five minutes out." She said before pulling one of the headsets off the rack overhead and slipping it on.

She absently noted the Jedi Master bustling about further back for a minute before she too slipped into her seat and clipped herself in. She used her time well however, running system's diagnostics and flight checks.

Normally most of these things would have been handled by an R-unit of some variety, but the U-Wing typically didn't come equipped with one. Regardless her checks and diagnostics all came back green. Just in time for her to watch the final countdown on the flight clock.

Before she really had time for it to register with her brain that the timer had hit zero the ship shuddered slightly beneath her and the blue whirling vortex of hyperspace was replaced with the tranquil black void of space.

First things first, she checked the proximity sensors. A good policy lest they find themselves on a collision course with another vessel. Nothing close by it seemed…although further out…

"Near space is clear, I'm reading civilian craft coming and going from Felucia" She reported dutifully. "And I see a small formation of Republic ships…Huh." Here she paused double checking the read out.

Shaak Ti looked over at her expectantly. "Problem?"

Barriss grimaced and shook her head. "Not so far, it's just strange, those ships IDs are now showing them as 'Imperial' warships. Also, there are far fewer than I was expecting considering the expected size of the campaign on Felucia…"

The Togrutan Jedi Master hummed thoughtfully looking over her own controls, "It seems the 'Chancellor' did not waste any time once he had control. So…it's an Empire now is it?" She asked, a note of distaste colouring her voice. "The Sith always did like that form of government." She mused. "Any response to our presence? I agree that formation is smaller and more distant than I was expecting, that does not mean there could not be more lurking beyond our sensor's field of view…"

Barriss knew that of course, she was well versed in space faring after all. Still it didn't hurt to be reminded now and then. Especially given current conditions. She shook her head. "No reaction as yet. Though we may wish to hurry ground side, just in case someone recognizes this ship from a watch list or something."

They were silent for a minute as the planet slowly drew near. They had only dropped out of Hyperspace so far away from the planet in the interest of giving them time to flee should they run into hostile forces. Shaak Ti used this time to try and get a feel for their destination.

"Do you sense anything? I am…having difficulty feeling whether or not Aayla is present." She asked, at times it seemed like she could feel a whisper, or a faint echo of the woman nearby, but nothing definite.

Barriss tried herself, casting her senses out somewhat clumsily due to lack of recent practice. Still, she found nothing more than the other Jedi had and said so.

Shaak Ti considered that. "Aayla often told me Master Eos and Master Tholme were both rather talented at going unnoticed when they wished to. I never had occasion to witness that myself, but it is possible they taught the skill to her at some point. So we'll have to try something else."

The Jedi unhooked from the seat and paced over to the communications console behind them and started fiddling with the controls. At a questioning look Barriss cast back at her she explained. "As you are aware, all Jedi have a personal comm channel that only the a select few are allowed to know about. It is my hope that…Ah, here it is. Someone down there is hooked into the network on the personal address Aayla uses. It's encrypted of course, but…" She trailed off absently as she pressed a couple buttons and settled in to wait.

The silence stretched for a good minute or so, and Barriss was ready to ask if they should try again when the console suddenly trilled. A small message blinking into existence on the monitors. Connection established, holocom or audio only? It asked.

Shaak Ti had decided on a holocom message and the console's little projector lit up and a small figure appeared in the mote of blue light.

Barriss pulled one of the monitors into a new position on its armature so she could keep an eye on things while still paying attention to the conversation which was about to occur.

The little figure sharpened into focus and Aayla smiled upon seeing Shaak Ti. "Shaak, it is good to see you. I was worried."

The Togruta smiled thinly in return. "It is good to see you as well Aayla. I'm pleased you managed to stay safe since we last spoke." She returned before sobering slightly, "I have orders from the Grandmaster to come find you and ensure your safety. I can of course see you are well for the moment, but it would probably be best we meet in person."

The Twi'lek nodded. Likely reflecting on the fact there was strictly speaking no such thing as a truly secure transmission. "I understand, I think it'd be good to meet as well all things considered. Do you have anyone else with you?"

Barriss winced slightly as she adjusted their course a bit. She was aware that Aayla had been on good terms with Ahsoka Tano, the one she'd attempted to frame for her crimes. It was unlikely her reception would be warm.

If Shaak Ti was thinking about any of that she gave no sign, merely nodding seriously. I extracted former Jedi Offee when we evacuated the Temple, she is with me. Will that be a problem?"

This produced a notable pause, the little glowing figure's expression unreadable in that time. "No, that will not be a problem. Just ensure she understands the situation a bit before you disembark okay? I'm sending you directions now." Aayla responded, her tone a bit stiff and formal despite her words.

"Thank you, we shall see you soon Aayla." The Jedi Master responded.

The woman in question eased slightly and smiled one last time. "You too, over and out."

Barriss waited patiently until Shaak Ti was back in the copilot's seat, returning the monitor's to their default position, before raising an inquisitive brow at the woman once she't input their new flight path. "Something I need to know?" she prodded.

This surprisingly caused the other Jedi to start somewhat, "I'm sorry, what?"

She rolled her eyes and restated the question. "She suggested I needed to understand some things before we disembark…"

The Jedi nodded, looking vaguely chagrined. "Apologies, yes. I was simply caught up in my own thoughts." She paused considering what to say before pressing on. "Well, I suppose the first thing you should understand is this. It appears Aayla has encountered some…individuals with unique talents. I do not know the full extent of these abilities, but it appears that it is only thanks to these people and their skills that Aayla was able to find out about the coming betrayal and inform the Jedi in time for us to act." She explained.

Barriss frowned, Shaak Ti was being unnecessarily vague. Holding something back. "You're not saying everything, what kind of unique abilities are we talking about here?"

A frown was her response, and for a moment she thought Shaak Ti would refuse to elaborate. "I am not certain you would believe me if I told you. I did not inform the others because I did not believe it prudent to open the way to doubt and debate, when we were so short on time."

This actually produced a small snort of amusement from Barriss. If there was one thing the Jedi were good at, it was wasting time debating and meditating on things. When real action was what was truly required. Still, she looked expectantly at Shaak Ti, awaiting an explanation and the Jedi sighed.

"The long and short of it is that it appears they are capable of time travel. Aayla claims she lived through the betrayal a first time, and that it was only through the intervention of these others that she was able to warn the Order."

Whatever she'd been expecting, it had not been that. It was a good thing the ship was largely on autopilot because Barris froze as they began entering the atmosphere. Only then glancing sharply at Shaak Ti, to find to her surprise that she appeared completely serious. "Are—are you certain she was being…no," Barriss cut herself off. "No, she wouldn't lie or joke about such things, not when the Order was at stake. So at the very least she believes it is true."

The Jedi Master nodded in agreement. "That was my analysis as well. However we could not afford to waste time debating whether or not she'd been misled. Not when there was an imminent threat on the horizon."

Barriss considered that. Clearly the threat was no fabrication or ruse. So clearly these people, whomever they were, had not been lying about that at least. And she could think of no rational reason for them to concoct such an outlandish scenario just to fool Aayla.

"You understand then?" Shaak Ti asked eventually. "We are likely about to meet with people who possess abilities we know nothing about, but who seem, at least for the moment, to be partial to our cause. It would be better if we did not…alienate them."

Barriss hummed agreement, basically what Shaak Ti was asking for was a bit of tact and diplomacy. "I'll let you take the lead then shall I?" She returned, getting a small smile from the older woman.

The fighter was now below the clouds, flying over a vast jungle plain. She could see mountains and ridges ahead of them now. "The directions she sent us are to come in slow on the west side of that ravine up ahead."

Shaak Ti nodded as they drifting in around towards the mouth of the ravine, coming to a halt hovering in the air before it. Waiting to ensure they were in the right place, Barriss then eased the controls forward and the vessel began to inch inwards.

It was then, as they entered the ravine that something a bit odd happened. There was a small ripple in the air ahead of them, and the tips of the s-foils which were locked in their forward position parallel to the hull began to disappear from view. Naturally she hauled back on the controls and stared for a moment after the now invisible portions of their ship. "A stealth field perhaps?" Shaak Ti speculated, sounding a touch bemused herself.

That made a sort of sense Barriss supposed, if Aayla and her…associates were to conceal themselves from possible pursuit. She pushed the controls forward again and the invisible barrier swallowed up more of the front of their ship. It was only as the barrier reached the cockpit that Barriss felt something peculiar.

A gentle caress from the Force as the field passed over her, testing…judging.

It was then that Shaak Ti chuckled. "Ah, I suppose I should have suspected her friends would have additional capabilities I—"

The Jedi cut herself off as the field fully passed over them and suddenly the front of the craft was again visible, and there further up the ravine is a Charger Frigate. With three figures standing in wait between them and it.

Aayla, who Barriss could recognize even from that distance waved them forward, clearly encouraging them to bring the ship the rest of the way through the barrier.

She shook her head ruefully, at the strangeness of their situation before bringing the ship fully inside. Extending the landing gear before lower the craft gently to touch the ground.

The pair of travellers unbuckled themselves hurriedly before making their way back to the doors, Shaak Ti turned an amused look on her as she reached for the door control. "Well, this is it I suppose. Let's go see just who it is that has turned the Galaxy on its head."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** PLEASE review and such. I really appreciate the feedback!


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Apologies for the hiatus of sorts. It was caused by a combination of Real Life woes, an ailing 'Muse' (still hate that term), and a much needed vacation. I know this chapter's a bit shorter than perhaps you might have hoped for after such a long delay but for various reasons this is a good place to break it up. Either way, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Harry watched with interest as Aayla absently flicked the switches and such necessary to deactivate the bridge communications console.

Harry was by no means an expert on Aayla, let alone Twi'lek mannerisms in general. However it was rather obvious even to him that _something_ was bothering the woman. Just what it was though, he couldn't know...unless he asked of course. "Problem?"

Apparently Aayla had been more preoccupied than he'd realized, as the sound of his voice caused her to give a start, before looking confused at the query. "Pardon?"

He smiled patiently, "Is there a problem? You seem preoccupied."

A look of what Harry suspected was surprise flashed over her face briefly before she offered a rueful smile. "Yes, I suppose there is." She admitted, "It has to do with the one who is with her, Barriss Offee."

He thought back to the woman that Shaak Ti had referred to. "Is she going to be a problem then?" He asked curious as to just whom this Barriss was and why she was shaking the normally somewhat unflappable Jedi before him.

The Jedi paused, considering the question seriously as they made their way from the cockpit…bridge... _whatever_ it was called on a ship this size. Before finally she shrugged. "My instinct is to say yes. However, she would not be here, with a member of the Council without a reason."

Hermione unsurprisingly seemed to share his curiosity. "Who is she?"

Aayla grimaced as they made their way through the corridors before coming to a ladder which descended to the deck below. "I'd…rather speak with Shaak Ti before I tell you too much more about her. I do not wish to colour your perceptions of her overmuch. It would suffice for now I think, to simply say that Barriss is a…troubled individual."

Harry shot Hermione a sidelong look before descending the ladder, Aayla was not usually so circumspect in her opinions from what he'd seen of the woman so far. Whomever the Barriss was, Aayla clearly had strong - and not necessarily positive - opinions about her.

It was…a little disquieting actually. Aayla, as near as he could tell, had been holding up remarkably well; though that might have only been because they'd been able to do _something_ to mitigate the disaster they had encountered. Oh, she was still prone to bouts of melancholy and woolgathering, but nothing more severe for the most part. Thus, her unease now was…unnerving to behold.

Whoever Barriss was, Aayla clearly found her presence uncomfortable. That a single person was enough to provoke such a reaction from her, said a lot more than Aayla's actual words had.

Still…Aayla apparently did not desire to unduly bias them against Barriss, and wished to obtain some clarification from the other Jedi before jumping to any conclusions. That made his course of action rather straight forward really: Wait and see.

When they eventually stepped out into the sunlight, it was to find that with the day's progression the intense heat and humidity had risen along with the sun. It did not take long before the heat alone started to prickle his skin uncomfortably.

Without really thinking he reapplied the spells he and Hermione had worked out earlier to make working outdoors more comfortable here. His friend soon catching on and following his lead, directing her wand at herself over and over until satisfied with her work.

Aayla was not so preoccupied now that she failed to notice these actions and raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. "Are you finding the heat and humidity uncomfortable here?" He asked.

The alien woman shrugged, "A little, but not excessively so. Ryloth is no stranger to heat. Though it tends towards the dry as opposed to the humid kind."

They nodded their understanding. "If you want, we could apply some cooling and sunscreen charms?" Hermione offered.

Apparently Aayla was intrigued by the notion and quickly agreed, soon enough smiling as the spells took effect. "Ah, that _is_ much better, thank you." She acknowledged happily.

It wasn't long after that, that they started hearing the noise of the approaching craft. It started faintly at first, a low hum that slowly grew in intensity, before rising to a dull roar as an indistinct white shape rushed by overhead, swooping in and around over the ravine before coming in low to approach from the far end as Aayla had specified.

The craft was…a bit blocky, an impression which was only emphasized as it's wings folded in to lock in place parallel to the primary hull, the sound of its four engines shifting in pitch as the vessel glided in towards them. He could actually see the forms of the ship's occupants in the large forward windows now, and was able to recognize Shaak Ti. He'd only seen her in 'Holo-calls' prior to this of course, but it really hit home now, just how _alien_ she was. Like Aayla really.

That notion brought him up short, as he considered it. It was odd, by and large, because of The Twi'lek's near human appearance, as well as her perfectly human behaviour and mannerisms, he didn't actually tend to think of Aayla as 'Alien' all that often anymore.

Shaak Ti was somewhat more blatantly non-human however. Those white and blue-grey 'horns and lekku like appendages being the most obvious reasons for this. Her red and white skin being the next, followed closely by his recollection of her somewhat pointed teeth and unusually dark eyes.

He mused on that as he watched the ship halt coming in contact with the ward line, before pressing onward after a brief hesitation from the pilot. It was promising he supposed that the wards had not yet reacted to their new guests.

The other one in the cockpit appeared - at least from a distance - fairly human all things considered. In fact from what little he could see clearly she appeared _mostly_ human, just with green skin.

The vessel pushed further through the barrier, and he noticed surprised expressions on their visitor's faces as the cockpit passed through, revealing himself and his two companions to those within.

Aayla chuckled in dry amusement. "I think they've just felt those 'wards' of yours. I do not think it had really sunk in for Shaak Ti that you'd almost certainly have other abilities on top of that of manipulating time." She noted before gesturing so as to encourage their guests to venture further forward. At that, the ship's occupants seemed to regain themselves somewhat before pulling their craft the rest of the way through the barrier. It proceeded a short distance across the rocky ravine floor before settling to the ground, landing gear extending as the whine of the engines slowly died.

Aayla shifted somewhat nervously on her feet before nodding to herself and turning to look over her shoulder at them. "Come on then, time to meet the guests I suppose…"

He and Hermione paced along behind her as she made her way around the side of the craft. They managed to not react too strongly when the vessel's side panel door popped out with a sharp hiss and slid back out of the way allowing the first occupant to gracefully exit the craft, was Shaak Ti. Seeing her now, in person he realized she was taller and more elegant in person than was obvious via the holo-calls.

Harry saw the second woman step out of the craft shortly behind the orange Jedi. Unless they had more aboard then they'd mentioned, Harry had little difficulty in identified the green-skinned passenger as Barriss...the woman who had Aayla so concerned.

On first blush, it was difficult to see why this might be the case. Barriss was, thin, with pale green skin, somewhat bedraggled black hair, black tattoos across her face and a haunted look in her eyes that made him wonder precisely what Aayla had meant when she'd called her 'troubled' - in his experience it could fall on either side of the divide, either Barriss was a victim in her past or was the perpetrator. She certainly didn't appear all that intimidating to his eyes at the moment though he knew looks could be deceiving.

If Shaak Ti's exit had been graceful, then Barriss' was practically clumsy and leaden by comparison. Her slumped, cautious posture, her positioning behind Shaak Ti and the way she kept glancing towards her companion made it fairly clear that for whatever reason, Barriss was deferring heavily to Shaak Ti.

Harry didn't really have time to dwell on his observations for long however as Aayla smirked in amusement surveying the regal bearing of the Jedi Master across from her, before darting forward and pulling the surprised woman into a quick hug then stepping back.

Apparently this was not usual behaviour for Aayla, as the visitors were clearly caught by surprise and somewhat shocked by her actions. Though this attitude lessened somewhat as Aayla gave a slight bow at the waist. "Apologies Master Ti, it is simply that it is _very_ good to see one of my friends once again. Especially considering all that has happened."

Shaak Ti eased at her words and smiled genuinely in return. "It is alright, merely unexpected. Though maybe it should not be." She speculated, looking Aayla up and down, before nodding in apparent satisfaction.

"You appear well, it seems whatever injuries you sustained in that first… _iteration_ , of the attacks were mercifully minor." She said.

Aayla's smile was a touch wan at that. "Less so than you might think Master Ti." She asserted, and Harry had to silently agree. She waved off Shaak Ti's curious look however with a small gesture. "That is for another time I think."

She then turned her attention to Barriss, her expression noticeably shutting down, and for a moment Harry could have sworn he saw Barriss give an almost imperceptible wince. "You and former healer Offee seem in good health yourselves." Aayla noted neutrally.

The Jedi Master inclined her head in agreement, Barriss apparently deciding to remain silent, looking away uncertainly. "We were fortunate. While we were rather uniquely challenged during our departure from the Temple on Coruscant, we managed to escape without injury."

"Coruscant?" Hermione asked, her curiosity apparently having been held in check long enough. "I think Aayla mentioned it once or twice, that's where your Temple is…was, yes?" She ventured.

The pair of Jedi shared a look, Shaak Ti apparently reading at least part of their story from Aayla's amused expression as she then nodded cautiously. "Yes, the primary Jedi Temple was on Coruscant, until it was overrun at least. The Capital is now entirely under Imperial control."

" _Imperial?_ " Aayla murmured under her breath.

Shaak Ti grimaced briefly, before nodding. "Yes, the Chancellor has apparently seen fit to reform the Republic into an Empire."

Aayla looked very troubled at that bit of news, though it only lasted a few seconds before she gave herself a shake and turned to gesture back towards the encampment. "I apologize, you must be finding this heat as uncomfortable as I was. We should probably take this inside and see to some introductions…" She began before trailing off as her eyes went to the cave. A sudden mischievous smile gracing her face. "Actually…I think the tent would be a lovely place for us to all get to know each other don't you?" She asked, eyes going to Harry.

He had to smirk as he noted the doubtful looks that Shaak Ti and Barriss gained when they regarded the rather plain looking tent, but nodded agreement. "I imagine so, I do believe you said it was more _homey_ than the ship after all…"

Apparently Hermione was also onto the little prank Aayla had in mind, as she was smiling in amusement as the three of them turned to head towards the cave.

He heard a sigh from Shaak Ti before she and Barriss fell into step behind them. "Well, I suppose with the shelter the cave provides, the tent should be cool at least…"

He could understand her…vexation, after all they were probably hoping for something a tad more comfortable after so long in their little ship.

Rolling to a halt beside the tent, he waved them forward. "After you." Shaak Ti nodded gracefully to him before pushing the tent flap aside and stepping through, followed soon by a bemused looking Barriss.

He shared an amused look with Aayla and Hermione as they stepped in ahead of him before entering himself. He ended up being glad that they'd been careful when moving to follow the others inside as both were standing only a couple feet inside the door, staring, somewhat slack jawed at the interior of the tent around them.

"That's…" Was the first thing Harry ever heard Barriss say, her voice trailing off uncertainly. It did not escape his notice that her voice had a rough, disused quality that he was all too familiar with thanks to Sirius' time in Azkaban.

"— _Not_ possible." Shaak Ti finished for her, her own brow crinkling in confusion. Her eyes cut sideways to him, questioningly, as he stepped around them the walk a little deeper in. "An illusion?" She asked, dubiously glancing around the room again apparently none too certain in her guess.

It was only as he felt her senses rove across the space around them, similar to how Aayla had when they'd first felt her presence, that he realized he'd instinctively raised his occlumency barriers once more. If he were to guess, he'd say Hermione had likely done the same.

"Is it?" Harry responded, smiling in amusement. "You tell me?" He was rather curious as to just what she would find.

There was the rapid patter of paws and the two familiars made their appearance. Juno trotted in ahead of Crookshanks who walked, bandy-legged, in after her.

Crooks of course seemed more than content to find himself a perch from which to survey the room, while Juno was her typical, more gregarious self. She sniffed at the two new arrivals happily before rubbing amiably against Barriss' leg.

Aayla huffed in indignation, pointing accusingly at the dog. "It's not fair you know that? That beast never behaves that well for me!"

Harry just chuckled in amusement, he suspected on some level that, that was precisely why Juno was being so friendly and well behaved now.

Barriss rubbed the dog's head idly for a moment before stepping a little further into the tent, reaching out tentatively towards one of the walls. "This—This is _real_?" She asked, before rearing back slightly as her fingers skimmed the fabric. "I can—The Force! I can feel it in the fabric of the tent!" She exclaimed, before flushing an interesting shade of green and looking sheepish. "I—I mean, I can always feel it in everything to one degree or another of course, but this…" She trailed off, once again cautiously reaching out to touch the fabric.

Shaak Ti looked to the human pair curiously, her eyes increasingly appraising. "Actual spatial compression?" She asked, cocking her head speculatively at them. Earning a small smile and nod from Hermione.

"My, my, that _is_ impressive. I've heard it said nothing is impossible with the Force as your ally, but I have never seen such a thing myself. How have you done this?" She asked.

Aayla smiled mischievously, "Shaak Ti, I'd like to introduce you to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger," She said indicating each in turn before grinning more widely. "They're Magical."

Harry snorted in amusement as Hermione groaned in a put upon manner as Shaak Ti turned to look to her friend quizzically. Finally Hermione regained herself and explained. "We've actually discussed this matter thoroughly with her, in our time together here. Harry and I are part of an… _unusual_ subculture on our homeworld. One which refers to our kind as Witches and Wizards. As Aayla just told you, we do magic, which as near as we can tell is one and the same with what Jedi call the Force."

Shaak Ti considers that before nodding. "Greetings, Mister Potter, Miss Granger. It is not unheard of for…isolated cultures, to refer to the Force as Magic. Though I must say I've never heard tell of them actually achieving some of the things your people apparently have."

She considered them speculatively for a moment, "Are things like this, spatial compression, time travel…common among your kind?"

Hermione shook her head, then shrugged. "Yes and no. The spatial compression as you call it, is relatively common in wizarding dwellings and such. But no in regards to the time travel. Only governments dabble in such things so far as I know, and Harry's…excursion with Aayla was hardly usual."

Aayla smirked in amusement, settling back to lean against the back of the couch. "The…device, Harry and I utilized, was the only surviving piece from the store their government used to possess of the things from what I gathered. It was damaged and didn't survive our use of it."

Shaak Ti nodded, processing what she'd been told. "I must admit I had assumed it was a Force technique you had utilized. It was a device you say? Could such a thing be replicated?"

This time it was Harry who responded. "It's both really, and no, it's not something we can do again I think. Unless Hermione's been holding out on me, _again_ …" He queried casting a teasing smile at his friend.

Hermione rolled her eyes fondly. "It's a long story and we could talk about it for hours, but as you can tell from our tent, our people have the ability to imbue objects with our magic, in order to make them perform functions currently beyond the capabilities of our science. And no, I can't make a new one myself." She said firmly, casting him an exasperated look.

Harry pulled her into a one armed hug before releasing her and looking back to the others. "Look, we came in here to rest, get comfortable and maybe get acquainted better I believe?" He asked rhetorically, "I assume you haven't eaten well on your journey considering the size of the ship you came on? So why don't I prepare a proper lunch for you?"

He didn't even take a proper response for him to know that the answer to his questions was a resounding yes. It was all there in the way the two travellers perked up at the mention of food, causing him to chuckle. "Food it is then. Can you lot eat the same stuff Aayla can? Don't fancy accidentally poisoning my guests…"

* * *

Felucia Orbit

Far Side of the Planet.

Third Sister stood aboard the Bridge of the Imperial Venator class cruiser 'Relentless'. Her dark silhouette casting an almost perceptible shadow across the bridge and its crew.

She relished the disquiet her presence caused those on the ship around her. She enjoyed the fear and tension it brought to the place. Rumours about those she'd interrogated had been allowed to propagate through the crew, cowing them into submission.

As one of the Emperor's chosen agents, she was proud to have been selected to lead the investigation on the world below. The Jedi had the _audacity_ to disrupt one of her Master's glorious plans. She would unravel just how they had managed it, and then make them pay dearly for the insult.

She was just waiting for the officers and droids she'd consulted, to churn out an analysis of a recent alert which they'd received. She didn't have to wait much longer, a clone approached her cautiously from his station on the bridge. "Milady…we have completed our analysis of the records and believe it is highly probable that the U-Wing we detected a little under an hour ago, and the one reported missing from the Jedi Temple are one and the same."

She nodded idly, thumbing her chin. "Do we have a destination for the craft?" She asked silkily.

He shook his head nervously. "Not as such milady, but we do know that the craft entered the region surrounding the Jedi's last battle near the water treatment plant.

She pondered that, frowning slightly. It was frustrating that their hunt was delayed somewhat by the lack of of a precise destination. But they could certainly work around that. "Deploy scout patrols and probe droids to the region. I want that ship found. Ensure they're well equipped. Even if you need to strip the equipment from other units." She commanded.

The clone saluted, murmuring an acknowledgement before hurrying off. Third Sister allowed herself to enjoy the clone's fear a moment before turning her attention to stare out the window into the void of space.

* * *

Ravine Camp

Felucia

It was some time later that Aayla found herself once against standing within the shadowy protection of the cave. The meal had been greatly enjoyed by their new arrivals and the first meeting between the strange humans and Shaak Ti had gone fairly well from what she could tell. However she knew Shaak Ti well enough to know when she desired to speak in private, even if the woman had said nothing of the sort. Thus, Aayla had begged off for a bit, in order to venture off outside. Just as expected, Shaak Ti joined her a short time later.

"Just so you know, I think Harry at least suspects that we needed to talk in private." Aayla warned, having noticed a significant look from Harry on her way out.

The other Jedi nodded, unconcerned. "So long as privacy is granted, it does not bother me that he knows we are meeting."

Aayla settled herself on one of the boulders which littered the cave floor. "So, what did you wish to speak about?"

This earned her a dry look from her friend. "Actually, it is that I suspect you wished to speak with me before we went any further. Perhaps about a certain former Jedi who came with me?"

Aayla couldn't help a small grimace at that. She had after all tried to keep her concerns to herself for the moment. Shaak Ti pressed on despite the lack of verbal response. "Officially speaking, Barriss is with me because those present when your warning came, believed it prudent she not fall into enemy hands." She explained plainly, spreading her hands absently. "And in truth that is part of it. Barriss is still in a delicate position. A none too gentle push by the Sith would be all that is required to break her once more I think."

Aayla gave her a look at that. "And the unofficial reason?"

Here her friend sighed. "I could not bring myself to kill her. Not when there was an alternative." She admitted. "You see, I and a couple others on the Council have been kept apprised of her progress with the mind healers. So I am somewhat more familiar with the issues at hand than some."

She paused before dusting off another nearby rock to seat herself on. "In the interest of being transparent. I'll tell you that Barriss is not yet stable, and I do not know if she ever will be. That being said…" She said, pausing briefly. "She has progressed in significant ways while in the care of the mind healers. She'll never be who she once was, a fact she is well aware of, but she isn't the same person who conspired to bomb the Temple hangar and frame a former friend for her crimes."

Aayla considered that. Mind healing was somewhat more in-depth than traditional psychiatric care. Involving Force based healing techniques instead. It allowed for a person heal in a much more definable way than that provided by the mental sciences. That being said she still didn't trust Barriss. Not yet. "Is she a danger to us here?"

Shaak Ti appeared unoffended by her doubts and gave that serious consideration. "Barriss is currently shouldering a great deal of guilt and self recrimination. Justifiably so I believe. Such things are not necessarily conducive to rapid healing though. However, to answer your question…No, I do not believe so at present."

It was the Twi'lek Jedi's turn to contemplate that. She…didn't like Barriss, and perhaps never would again. That didn't mean she wasn't moderately pleased to hear the younger woman was working towards being better than she was. Barriss could never truly make up for what she had done of course. The lives of those lost in the bombing and the trusts she'd betrayed could never be restored. Nor were they something she believed could be atoned for in a single lifetime.

That being said, Barriss was apparently making an effort to become the sort of person who _could_ begin to atone. Which was a good start. She'd once heard the process of 'repentance' described by an aged Jedi master near the end of his life. It began with knowing and recognizing that you had done wrong. Then came vowing never to do it again, and doing your best to keep that vow while working to atone for your mistakes. Any act of repentance she'd been told was a lifelong process. Something that never truly ended until you were beyond further action, good or ill.

Keeping that in mind, so long as Barriss took to the path of attempting to repair what she and the dark side had broken… well, then perhaps someday in the future, Aayla might find it in herself to offer some modicum of forgiveness to the woman.

"Very well, I'll trust in your opinion on the matter for the moment." She hedged, before changing tracts. "Now, I have a new question for you."

Shaak Ti inclined her head in such a way as to indicate she should continue. "What happened exactly? What do you know of those who attacked us? I know what we suspected when we spoke last. They certainly seem confirmed now in regards to the Chancellor but…"

Shaak Ti nodded soberly in agreement. "We were betrayed, though to exactly what extent I am not certain. The Chancellor most certainly plotted and brought about an attack on the Jedi Order, and indeed it appears he orchestrated the entire war." She huffed a tired sigh. "It goes deeper than that, he was clearly able to subvert the Clones and I have my suspicions as to exactly how he did it. It has to do with the way the Clones were designed." She confided.

"The Clones have biochips implanted in them, with specific orders and control functions built in. This most any Jedi could tell you after the incident with Master Tiplar." Shaak Ti reminded her.

Aayla winced in recollection of the incident in question. It had been 'determined' that the Clone who had turned his weapon on Master Tiplar had done so due to a malfunctioning chip.

This had actually come up recently in her conversation with Harry and Hermione about the details of the war. They had been understandably appalled to learn the Republic was essentially utilizing what Hermione referred to, rather bitingly, as a 'slave army'.

Their outrage at the Republic in general and the Jedi in particular had been tempered however when she had explained the context in which the Republic came to have such an army, and why they could not afford at the time to simply reject its use out of hand.

Which wasn't to say they had been sanguine about the kind of politics and systemic societal apathy that had perpetuated the creation of the clone soldiers.

Aayla returned her attention to her companion. "I suspect that the Chancellor hid the command necessary to force them to turn on us in that chip. Though I'd need to examine one of them myself to be sure." Shaak Ti admitted.

Of anyone in the Order, Shaak Ti was likely the only one with the expertise and knowledge necessary to attempt that. She had after all been posted on long term assignment to Kamino to oversee the training of the Clones.

Aayla nodded, though her thoughts were now drifting back to the visions. The clones had been the most prominent of those attacking the Jedi, it was true. However there had been another presence.

"There is someone else involved in this isn't there?" She probed. At Shaak Ti's surprised expression she explained herself. "In the…glimpses I caught when the attacks began, I felt and saw others, one of our own among the attackers, clashing with Jedi. Someone else has betrayed us?"

That seemed to meet with understanding from her colleague, causing her to nod seriously. "I encountered a pair I believe to have been Sith Acolytes during the attack on the temple. However, you are correct in that one of our own was involved as well…" Shaak Ti admitted soberly. "The Clones attacking the Temple were led by Skywalker."

Aayla felt like she'd taken a blow to the stomach by the way the breath rushed from her lungs. "Skywalker? Truly—are…you are certain?" She asked, weakly.

At the other Jedi's solemn nod she sighed. "Then our foe is that much more dangerous. Skywalker is not to be underestimated."

The Togrutan Jedi nodded agreement, "And yet, at the moment in which our enemy was poised to destroy us, something or rather…someone, intervened." She noted, eying her friend. "Strange isn't it?"

Aayla nodded, her thoughts briefly flashing back to her reflection on how curious it was that Harry had also been referred to as a 'chosen one' in the past. _Still…_ "If I did not know all that I do, about how it came to pass, and about those who facilitated it, I would have called it 'curious timing'.

"It truly is _time travel_ then, you are certain?" Shaak Ti queried. "I am inclined to believe the claim given what has happened and what you have told me, but…"

Aayla favoured her friend with a rueful smile. "It does sound very outlandish doesn't it? But it's true, for much of the time when I was first with them I was constantly testing and searching for signs of deception or illusion, but I never found any."

Here she paused and considered, "We should ask Harry to show you what remains of the little device that he used. It looks so insignificant. Like an ancient hourglass…yet when he manipulated it, I watched as time itself answered its call. I saw the sun twist back across the sky, and saw armies march backwards…"

Shaak Ti nodded, musing to herself absently. "I will not complain about the results, that is for certain. I must admit to curiosity about just what they can achieve if they can bend the Force to their will so…And I confess a measure of worry as well."

Aayla hummed agreement before shaking her head wryly. "I won't lie, I have some concerns too. To possess such power, virtually at their fingertips…" She trailed off briefly before pressing on. "And yet most of what I have seen has been…harmless. I should ask them if they are willing to give a demonstration to you so you can understand better just what I mean."

Shaak Ti nodded agreement. "I admit to anticipating that. I wonder about something you've said though. You mentioned that 'most' of what you have seen has been harmless? Not all?"

Aayla cursed herself mentally for her unfortunate slip of the tongue before grimacing ruefully at her companion. "I am not sure I can adequately explain. During the course of our…mission, back in time, Harry was forced to use an ability which he and Hermione both seemed to find particularly repugnant. In fact Harry himself appeared physically ill after utilizing it."

She paused and cocked her head at the other Jedi. "You have no doubt noticed it is hard to read them?" She queried, getting a nod of agreement from her friend. "But in moments when they are unguarded or when I make physical contact with them, I can sense what they are feeling quite clearly." She explained.

"Harry was…deeply regretful that he'd been forced to the extreme of using the ability that he did." She hedged, not wanting to give Shaak Ti the wrong impression. "Do they possess abilities which could be dangerous? Yes, absolutely. However…I would caution you not to judge too harshly as yet. They both seem to possess healthy moral compasses."

The Togruta inclined her head in understanding. "I will keep it in mind going forward certainly. Perhaps that demonstration would be in order however. I think this is something I need to see for myself." She paused before smiling crookedly at the Twi'lek. "I did not get the chance to convey this sufficiently earlier, and for that you have my apologies, but it is very good to see you alive and well Aayla. Whatever else may come of this situation, that is certainly the truth."

* * *

Emperor's Chambers

Imperial Senate Building

Coruscant

Emperor Palpatine was…displeased. A state of being that tended to lead to people being tortured, or barbecued with Force Lightning — sometimes both. Today however he had need of a more rational mindset and thus reined in his ire. Something those around him were grateful for.

Kuat, was not yet a viable target for conquest. The Imperial fleets were too scattered dealing with the remnants of the Separatist Fleets. He'd considered utilizing the command codes himself to deal with those pawns in his long game. However he had held off in favour of allowing his new apprentice the honour.

The Imperial victory over the Separatist 'traitors' would be much more potent when personally dealt out by his new right hand in the form of slaughtering the Separatist Council and the neutralization of their military might.

The mere thought of it greatly improved his mood. Perhaps he could get Nute Gunray's head placed on a spike outside? He'd need to think on it, the Imperial Senate was still…uneasy following the secession of the others.

He paused at a whisper from the Force, a flash of fire and pain, and he sighed in disappointment. Darth Vader was not long arrived on Mustafar. And already he sensed that danger was closing in on his apprentice. The risk was slim he suspected, considering just how powerful Vader was, but he could not chance losing his most potent servant in the wake of so many other troubles.

He pressed a control on his 'throne' and spoke to the attendant on the other end. "Captain, prepare my shuttle and a heavy escort. I find myself needed elsewhere." He growled to the Royal Guardsman in question.

"It will be done my lord." Came the quick reply.

He paused again as he gained his feet glancing at a number of reports on his desk. Kuat might be beyond his reach at present. Rendili however…well, Rendili was a much easier prey. One which possessed a still impressive number of mobile dockyards and construction modules…If those assets were acquired and moved, perhaps to Fondor? The dire need to reclaim Kuat would be somewhat reduced.

He again pressed the comm button. "Captain, have Admiral Yularen dispatch a reconnaissance force to the Rendili system. I wish to know the disposition of its defenders immediately.

* * *

Felucia, Ravine Camp

Barriss shook her head, though even she would be hard pressed to tell you whether or not it was in amazement or simple bafflement. Whatever she'd been expecting to get upon meeting these…people, it had not been this.

As if to punctuate that thought, she watched as 'Harry' proceeded to conjure a chair from thin air and sit on it. Magic, the pair of humans referred to it as _magic_ , she could practically see some of the rather impressive sneers some of the other Jedi would likely don upon hearing that.

More fools they, she decided. She wasn't certain what it was that these two humans were actually doing with the Force, but it certainly fit the term magic well enough. She'd never heard of a Jedi doing even a portion of the things these two managed.

They turned physics on its head and spat in its eye every time they gestured with those little sticks of theirs. Though what _sticks_ had to do with the Force she had yet to find out.

Thus far Harry, or Hermione, had demonstrated a number of skills beyond those they'd already witnessed. Harry had shown himself at dinner to be skilled at levitating objects. Something which in and of itself was not hugely amazing. Most Jedi could levitate things, and a skilled few, could with deep meditation levitate both themselves and a couple objects around them.

Harry took it a step further than that though. In simply setting the table and serving the food he made dozens of objects all but dance to his tune with a simple swish and flick of the stick. The level of fine control demonstrated in what was essentially an absent minded action was astonishing.

It had only gotten weirder from there. He'd transfigured a chair into a large bovine of some sort before turning it back again, ignited a light from the tip of the stick, lit a fire in the grate, as well as conjured matter, both living and inorganic, from thin air! Although she was informed that conjured materials aside from water tended to vanish again after a while.

Still she suspected this was far from all they could do. She was somewhat gratified that she was not the only one impressed by these feats. Shaak Ti, she noted was as close to giddy as one ever saw the serene Jedi Master. She suspected that the Togrutan Jedi was even _more_ excited than she let on.

"Well, you can't be all bad, considering the shine Juno's taken to you." Chuckled a voice from beside her causing her to start.

"Pardon?" Barriss asked, looking around to see Hermione standing there.

The brunette human smiled thinly, nodding to the beast which had seated itself beside her and was allowing her to absentmindedly rub its head. "The Dog, her name is Juno. You'll find most dogs are a good judge of character and Juno is far smarter than most. That she likes you is a good reflection on you."

Barriss gave her a skeptical look, it was hard not to considering her own knowledge of her very flawed character. "Or, more likely, she could just like rubs." She suggested choosing to ignore the small huff from the animal in question and the way it pointedly rolled its eyes.

Hermione shook her head, "Juno does enjoy attention it is true, but she won't allow just anyone to touch her. She growls any time Malfoy was around and she couldn't stand being in the same place as Ronald…which maybe should have been a clue, all things considered." The girl muttered.

Barriss wasn't sure what to make of any of that so chose to remain silent. Hermione eyed her appraisingly. "You know, we won't mind if you choose to ask some questions as well. I can tell you're curious."

Barriss looked away nervously. "I didn't want to be a nuisance…"

The other woman snorted in amusement. "Hey, I wouldn't have offered to answer questions if I thought you'd be a nuisance. The others mentioned that you were a Healer I believe, I'm afraid you'd be better off asking Harry about that side of things. He's the one with the medical expertise."

Barriss was about to correct her, stating that it was technically 'former' healer now, when another voice interrupted. "I confess to being interested in that as well." Shaak Ti said pacing over with Harry. "I have been led to believe that you provided medical assistance to Aayla correct?"

Harry nodded from beside her. "Yeah, she was a real mess, we tried to protect her but a few bolts got through to her before we could get out of there." He agreed.

Shaak Ti's brown-line rose in alarm. "Bolts? I assume you are referring to blaster bolts? I was not aware you'd been injured so severely Aayla." She admonished looking to the Twi'lek in question.

The other Jedi shrugged. "I did hint that it had been a bit more than a sprain Master Ti. It is no worry, Harry patched me up, good as new. Or near enough to it."

Shaak Ti looked less than convinced and looked to the male human next to her. "One shot to the posterior side of her ribs on her right side, another to her back, just above the buttock and right of the spine and another in her leg just below the left buttock." He rattled off professionally and the eyes of both Barriss and Shaak Ti widened before Shaak Ti straightened.

"I mean no offence Mister Potter, but those are very serious injuries, if I could examine her injuries personally?" The Master asked, her tone implying that while it was a request it was one that would it would be better to accept.

Harry shrugged easily. "Up to her, I've got no problem with it. Perhaps the bathroom or bedroom would be best, for privacy's sake?"

At Aayla's nod, Shaak Ti led the other woman away into the tent. Leaving those that remained to stare at each other, before Harry eventually turned his eyes to the Mirialan, still seated in a conjured chair. "So, you have a lightsaber too?" He asked, clearly casting about for something to talk about.

Barriss cringed a bit internally, though she noted with some satisfaction the way Hermione sighed in a put upon manner, rolling her eyes. "Men!"

* * *

Felucia, Ravine Camp

Tent Interior

Aayla asked over her shoulder to Shaak Ti as she stood, with only a towel to protect her modesty, before the other Jedi. "That bad huh?" She asked noting Shaak Ti's frown with an internal twinge.

The Togruta sighed from behind her. "Yes and no. Which is rather the source of my consternation I will admit." She said prodding one of the wounds with her finger and frowning.

"Oh?" The Twi'lek inquired, glancing over her shoulder at her.

The Togruta huffed and nodded, catching her eye briefly before turning her attention back to her examination. "Yes, these wounds should still be fresh and raw, even if you only came out of the bacta tank today. Instead they appear to be well on their way to recovery and far smaller in size than a wound of this type should be."

Aayla considered that, and resolved to once again thank Harry for his efforts in healing her. Shaak Ti continued speaking a moment later. "Did he describe how he went about achieving this? Even the best Healers the Temple has could scarcely have produced this kind of result in so short a time."

Aayla nodded. "He didn't really go into specifics, though from my own inquiries I've discerned a bit more about it. Apparently it was a combination of skin healing 'spells' and what he referred to as 'potions."

Shaak Ti was silent for a moment pondering that. "Potions, do you know anything about that? It sounds similar to Sith Alchemy or Night Sister 'Magic'. Though I admit that is based solely on terminology."

Aayla understood her concern, the things either of those groups achieved with such things were horrifying to behold. "As he explained it, it was plant and animal matter mixed into a slurry of some kind and infused with their 'magic'. He noted that the 'magic' was the key ingredient when I asked later, said if they'd mainlined such concoctions into me without that, it would have killed me."

The Jedi Master blinked in shock. "They injected you with—ground up plant and animal matter? And it somehow achieved this result?"

Aayla nodded, "Later I drank one of the concoctions voluntarily, it tasted foul, but it worked exactly as they claimed."

The Togruta shook her head. "Well, I think that is another thing I shall need to ask for a demonstration of, because as it stands the results are stunning and I sense no Dark Side taint when I probe the wounds."

Aayla was about to comment on that, only to halt as a loud and clear gonging noise rent the air. And a distinct feel of unease rippled through the Force. "What was that?"

Shaak Ti frowned, "I do not know, however perhaps it would be best you get re-dressed, something tells me we shall soon find out."

* * *

Felucia Surface

"Well, well…that _is_ interesting." Third Sister murmured to herself as something slithered over her senses, before a pulse of alarm rent the Force around them.

She and the Clone Commando unit assigned to this hunt had deployed not a few minutes before, chasing down an anomalous reading from the Probe Droids in the area. On first blush, and even after a more extensive search of the area in question, they could not find anything of note.

Indeed she'd been close to calling off this leg of the search and redeploying when she'd tripped — _whatever_ that was. Now however she was grinning in triumph beneath her mask, her heart thrumming excitedly in her chest. The hunt was back on.

"Hammer Leader." She barked, her eyes drawn to the ravine ahead, the only appreciable cover in the immediate area. Feeling as her eyes settled upon it, a little brush of the Force across her mind attempting to draw her attention elsewhere. "Have your men spread out and sweep towards that Ravine. If you find something call immediately. Do not allow yourself to be drawn off, there is something there. I can feel it." She instructed.

The Clone Commando nodded briskly, "Yes Milady." He growled before leading his team off into the brush.

The grin on her face had turned positively feral and she turned to the Troop Commander who trailed in her shadow. "Commander Bly…Call for an additional squad and a Tank to be brought up. I want nothing left to chance if they are where I think they are."

He nodded sharply before accessing his comlink and relaying the orders. As she began her slow stalking approach on her new objective she slipped her saber hilt from her back and thumbed the ignition.

The Jedi _were_ here. And she would hunt them down. After all, she reasoned, if she had seen through that illusion, the Force willed it to be so.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks to Temporal Knight for his valiant efforts. As ever please, rate, review, comment or ask questions! Constructive criticism is welcome, unhelpful or outright rude flames are not. Otherwise, thanks for reading and hope you all had an awesome summer...or winter, some of you hooligans are on the wrong side of the planet.


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes:** Sorry it took a while to get this out everyone, the first part of the chapter fought me quite a bit and I wasn't sure how long to make the second part. Its a little shorter than my usual but I feel in this case it's for the best. Just a quick note for those of you who read my other stuff. As of yesterday I've uploaded improved versions of the chapters of a story called 'That Which Truly'. Previously it had been on an alt account I'd been running called FenrisWinter. Now without further ado, please enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **Felucia**

 **Ravine Camp**

"Well…Bollocks," Harry muttered morosely, staring through the wards at the group slowly picking its way along the bottom of the Ravine towards them.

There was a small pause following that proclamation. "I do not know what a 'Bollock' is, but judging by the look Miss Granger just shot you, and the context it was said in, I assume it is something rude?" Shaak Ti quipped grimly standing beside him.

Harry snorted in dry amusement. "You'd be right. So, who are they exactly?" He asked jerking his chin towards those approaching. Whoever they were they were searching carefully, scanning their surroundings cautiously before advancing bits at a time, weapons raised.

"Clone Commandos," She murmured back, "At least the ones in front are, the others are Clones from Aayla's old unit. However it's the one in black that concerns me."

Harry spotted the one she was talking about easily enough. Leading the commandos was a woman, at least he assumed 'she' was in fact female, judging by what he could see of her figure, it was slightly ambiguous from this distance. He'd already known the ones near the walker were clones from the unit which had formerly served Aayla; hard not to realize it considering everything that had happened.

"Oh, why is she such a problem?" He asked carefully, ignoring the murmurs of the others behind them for the moment.

"I do not know if Aayla informed you of this fact, but Jedi are not the only ones to wield the Force in this Galaxy. And not all such groups are benevolent." The Togruta Jedi reminded him.

"Yes, she mentioned the Sith in particular. Judging by the fact she's here and leading troops in a search I assume she is one of them?" He speculated.

"Indeed, I encountered others like her during the assault on the Temple on Coruscant." She agreed. "If those I encountered were any indication she is easily the most dangerous of those currently approaching."

A softly cleared throat caused them to turn to regard the others. Hermione was looking at them questioningly. "What I want to know is why they are here? The wards I raised 'should' have kept them from finding this place."

"At the moment I honestly can't say, however we would do well to evacuate before they find us." Shaak Ti responded plainly.

Hermione grimaced and Harry cast an eye towards the ships landed further up the ravine. "I think I have an idea then. If you don't mind hearing me out?" He said, looking at the Jedi expectantly and receiving a nod from Aayla and Shaak Ti in turn.

"It will take a short time to pack up the tent and prep the ships for take off I assume—" He started before Hermione spoke up.

"Actually near as I can tell the thing that should take longest is breaking down the wards so that we can take them with us." She mused, then gave a sigh and rolled her eyes at their questioning looks. "What? You can't tell me you want us to just leave the secret to how I made us at least partially invisible lying around for them to find."

Harry dipped his head conceding the point. "Taking that all into consideration, how about this then, Aayla you come with me and we'll see about distracting them away from the camp while the others pack and ready the ships. Hermione handles the tent and the wards Miss Offee and Master Ti tend to our get away vehicles."

Hermione grimaced. "I don't like the idea of you going out there Harry."

He gave a wan smile in return. "I don't particularly relish the thought either, but they'll be here soon if I don't delay them."

"There's no reason to believe they can breach the wards…" She protested.

"Just as there was no reason to believe they could find us through them, but they did." Harry pointed out, bringing her up short.

Finally after a moment's indecision she nodded, and he looked to the others. Shaak Ti shared a look with the young former healer. "I believe we can see to that, though I urge you to use caution."

"Hey, I'll have you know I am the very epitome of caution." Harry declared, turning on his heel to stride towards the ward line, Aayla close on his heels.

Shaak Ti and Barriss gave Hermione a worried look when a slightly hysterical laugh bubbled out of her throat at that declaration.

"I am _so_ reassured." Grumbled Barriss. "I think I'll hurry through the pre-flights…"

* * *

Sith were terrifying, Sith were strong, and proud, and fearless. They never got frightened - unless they wanted to - they were never startled and they most certainly did not squeak like a frightened claw mouse when a being popped out of thin air not five feet away from them. No they most _certainly_ did not.

That's what Third Sister's mind was trying to tell her anyway while she stared at the strangely dressed human standing there casually in the centre of the ravine waving lazily at her. "Hi there," He greeted, tapping a small stick against his thigh absently as he watched her.

She blinked, and she was pretty sure the Clones blinked as well. The first response to try and force its way out of her mouth was an inelegant 'uh…what?' However she stifled that before it made it past her lips. Instead after shaking herself, she glared at the human. "Attempting to sneak up on me is very unwise human." She growled igniting her lightsaber. "However I am pleased to see the probe droids were correct about something hiding here."

The male considered her blandly. "Not very friendly are you? Not that I really expected you to be. I mean the troops were kinda a clue, but the whole black and red Queen of the Damned persona you've got going is a dead giveaway."

He was mocking her, she realized, her eyes narrowing. This human dared stand there before her and make _jokes_ at her expense. Too many in this galaxy would do the same these days. But that would soon pass. Then the Sith would be feared and revered by all, as it should be.

"A glib tongue, good, I'll enjoy cutting it out and then clearing out your light nest of anyone else who hides here." She snarled, sinking back into a combat position, hearing the clones do the same around her.

The man appeared utterly unaffected by the threat, eying her skeptically. "No thanks, I'm kinda attached to my tongue; many good uses for it, besides talking of course. Oh and I wouldn't recommend trying to breach the defences. People tend to…get a bit disorganized when they do that."

Her hand lashed out, sending a bolus of Force energy at him, intent on hurling him backwards. Instead he cocked his head at her curiously as the wave impacted on something in front of him with a flash and a ripple. He sighed and shook his head, as though disappointed. "Very well, the hard way then." And he vanished with a small snap.

* * *

(Aayla Secura)

'Note to self,' Aayla mused absently, 'Never fight a wizard at range, particularly on his own ground…'

This reflection came as she watched as the carefully regimented assault force approaching the camp rapidly became supremely...disorganized. There were explosions and flashes of light of course, but the clones were well versed in dealing with such battlefield conditions.

What they were not prepared for was three of their lead troopers being replaced by small, wooly, hoofed creates with distinctive yellow markings which matched that of their own armour. Creatures which promptly panicked, bleating loudly and then stampeded their way back up the ravine.

Nor were they prepared to deal with attacks which locked their legs together or which hoisted them bodily into the air by their ankle. Seemingly unsupported at that...  
It was around the time that one of the clones started firing wildly at nothing in particular, while shouting to the others to fall back, when she decided it would be better to step in.

It was fairly clear that Harry had matters fairly well in hand for the moment, however given half a chance the Clones would either get in a lucky shot on him or rally and make an assault on the ward. She was uncertain just what such an assault would achieve, as Harry had made it fairly clear that attempting to pass through it would be 'unfortunate' for those involved, but it would likely not be wise to test such an assumption. Just in case of course.

"It's like dealing with another Skywalker, always an adventure…except less grumpy…and hopefully less prone to bouts of insanity and betraying one's friends." She grumbled after emitting an exasperated sigh.

With that, she ignited her lightsabers and stepped through the wards.

* * *

(Hermione Granger)

As predicted, the hardest part of packing up the camp was removing the ward stones. Not that Hermione was in any 'excessive' hurry to deactivate them. They were after all the only thing keeping the chaos outside from boiling through the camp and possibly damaging the ships and/or getting them all killed along the way.

She did however hurry through the process of securing the familiars in the tent and packing it back into its bag. Trying to ignore the increasing sounds of chaos and violence coming from outside was quite a bit harder than she cared to admit.

It was only as she heard the engines of the craft outside begin to roar that she finished her task and hurried back out of the cave. Shaak Ti and Barriss it seemed had come up with a plan for their craft while she and the others had been occupied with their own tasks. The Charger was now hovering in the air whilst the smaller craft slowly eased its way under it and somehow seemed to clamp itself onto the larger vessel's underside, before powering down its engines once more.

She paused long enough to send Barriss a nod as the green skinned woman hopped out of the now underslung vehicle and made her way forward to where the ramp was hanging a few feet above the ground.

Turning back to the ward stones, Hermione carefully pried loose the first set from the stone they were embedded in and deactivated them. Those were those ward stones on the opposite side of the camp from the battle. While this almost certainly revealed them to any personnel above or behind who might be observing them, the wards at the other end still stood strong, concealing and protecting them from the now very disorganized attacking forces.

With the second set of ward stones she didn't actually deactivate them right away instead pausing, with them still sitting in their niches. She waited long enough to send Harry and Aayla Patronus messages to disengage and get on the ship as soon as possible.

Although...Hermione sighed and shook her head as she realized that it seemed like Harry was enjoying himself more than anything. Completely discounting the small herd of oddly coloured sheep running about the ravine beyond the wards, and Aayla generally keeping a bewildered looking woman in black preoccupied, there were also swarms of winged monkeys dive bombing the troopers _and_ a rather large 'Japanese' lizard which was beating on the tank with its fists and breathing magical fire over it - much to the crew's obvious dismay.

These things were largely harmless, though the exploding hexes which occasionally streaked down into the ravine were less so. The 'sheep' would turn back sooner or later she knew, and the flying monkeys would likely soon vanish or transform back into their original form as well. The movie monster could, she suspected, cause physical injury considering the way it was rocking the tank on its legs but the 'fire' it was breathing was largely a light show.

The first hint that the others had received her messages came when Harry's own stag patronus cantered up to her. "Got it, on my way, be ready to pull those wards." Harry's voice said issuing from its mouth before it disappeared.

The next signs was Aayla forcing the woman back with a telekinetic push which sent the woman flying. She didn't pursue her, instead turning to run, inhumanly fast, back towards the camp as the flying monkeys swarmed her opponent en masse.

Satisfied, Hermione deactivated the stones summoning the one further away back into her hand before turning on her heel to apparate away, arriving with a pop on the still lowered boarding ramp of the frigate. It was not three seconds later that Harry arrived similarly, a little further up the gangway.

Which only left…

It really was incredible, the way Aayla could use the Force to augment her own body so fully, Hermione reflected as the woman took a flying leap which brought her up to the ramp, actually having to push off the hull above her slightly to keep from crashing into it.

The three nodded to each other before Aayla pulled the little communications device Hermione still thought of as her 'radio' from her belt and clicking it on. "We're in, raise the ramp and get us out of here."

* * *

The last of the flying abominations hit the ground with a squeal before disappearing with a pop, cut down by a blow from her lightsaber. The Inquisitor seethed, she'd been outplayed, by a boy, a human wielding parlour tricks!

True these illusions were of higher quality than those she had witnessed previously, but that must have been what they were. No one could use the Force so, no one! She assured herself as a strange rippling of popping noises passed through the ravine and there were suddenly more clones lying on the ground groaning and holding their heads and less wooly creatures running about.

She would not be beaten like this, Third Sister Determined. Not by this kind of base trickery!

She snapped her commlink off her belt and connected through to the ships waiting in orbit. "Our targets are escaping, stop them. If you cannot find them use the droids, they use illusions that organic eyes cannot penetrate." She snarled.

The hesitation from the other end lasted a bare moment. "It will be done my lady." Came back a moment later, and she cut the connection. Pausing to deliver a vicious kick to one of the downed clones.

"Commander Bly, get the gunships back here to pick us up." She demanded, and the clearly spooked clone officer pulled a sharp salute before rushing off.

She would not be beaten…she would not, she assured herself.

* * *

 **Aboard Charger Frigate**

 **Entering Orbit (Felucia)**

"Well, that didn't take long," Aayla growled as a swarm of red dots appeared on the sensors. "Shields to full, incoming interceptors."

"Hyperdrive isn't ready yet, the reset you did when getting the trackers have fouled the programing a bit." Barriss griped to herself as she pushed the throttle forward accelerating the frigate to combat speed. "Five minutes until we can jump."

This was met with a small snarl from the other worried Jedi. "We might not have five minutes, is there any…" Aayla paused before pointing to the readout. "There, the Separatist Fleet is still in orbit, if we push it we might be able to use it as cover."

Barriss shifted course but Harry coughed uneasily, "Uh—not to sound…unhelpful, but isn't that fleet full of robot—er, droids that want to kill us too?" He asked.

To his surprise Aayla shook her head. "Maybe not, the fleet is in disarray, they're drifting. All of them. If I were to guess I'd say that 'The Emperor'," she hissed that last part with disdain, "Decided he no longer needed the Separatists and shut down the droid army. Without the automated crews to aid them any organics aboard would have no hope of controlling ships that large alone. Assuming those things had anyone living aboard in the first place…"

Harry saw what she meant as the fleet in question rapidly drifted into view. He was also slightly awed by what he saw. He recalled clearly the first glimpses he'd caught of the previously Republic warships landing on Felucia. Massive wedge shaped ships with white hulls and sharp angular lines.

These were different, rounded hulls, with sharp protrusions and menacing profiles. Some were smaller, perhaps only a half kilometer or so long in the case of the smallest, others, were enormous three kilometer wide circular behemoths. And yet…all of them were dead in space, their lights out, drifting as Aayla had said.

"I hate to be a bother, but is there any chance 'magic' boy here could you know, make us invisible or something?" Barriss asked as the frigate dove under the first Separatist ship, the first stream of blue and green energy bolts streaked past from behind them.

Harry winced and saw Hermione shoot him a guilty glance from where she was seated beside him. "If I were outside the ship right now, maybe. I'm sorry I should have considered that before we took off…"

"It matters not," Shaak Ti reassured them calmly. "This ship's defences should be sufficient." She said as she fiddled with controls and the roar of the small frigate's guns began to echo through the hull around them. Harry would have been more comforted had the ship not shuddered a couple moments later and a small alarm gone off on the control panel.

Barriss rolled the frigate, twisting it up and around one of the larger ghost ships, cursing unintelligibly under her breath as she had to make a last moment correction to dodge a cloud of lifeless small craft drifting ahead of them. "Even deactivated Vulture droids are a pain in my…"

Just what they were a pain in was cut off as the ship jolted again.

"Shields down to eighty-five percent." Aayla warned. "Hyperdrive?" She asked from the co-pilot's seat.

"One minute. Hope you don't care too much where we're going," Barriss hissed through her teeth as she took them into another roll. "I'm just taking the first road out of here."

"That'll work fine, just…" Aayla yelped, and was cut off as the ship jostled harshly. "Shields down to seventy-five percent" She reported.

"Two of our pursuers have broken off," Shaak Ti reported calmly, "both have sustained damage, however I detect an additional twelve on an intercept trajectory…"

Harry hated this, he felt useless. It was one thing to be flying while under attack if you were at the controls, it was another to have to trust your fate to another.

The ship arced over the hull of another of the drifting separatist ships and back into open space. "Hyperdrive's ready!" Barris barked, "Hang on!"

She yanked on the controls and brought the ship onto a heading that had it clear of any obstacles, before slapping a control beside the console. For a moment nothing happened, and part of Harry was worried it wasn't going to work. Then…things got weird.

The world beyond the windows warped, the stars stretching until a white blue blur filled the screen and the ship heaved under them and suddenly there were no stars, simply a long blue white tunnel of whirling light.

"We're in hyperspace," Barriss reported, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Anything in our path?" Aayla asked after a moment, slumping back in her chair.

Barriss brought up a readout and shook her head. "Negative, nothing but clear space ahead of us. How long should we remain in hyperspace before we reorient?"

There was a pause as the two Jedi considered that. "Protocol for escape and evasion would be three and a half hours, but the clones would know that." Shaak Ti noted dryly. "Perhaps two hours instead? Then jump us closer to the nearest trade route, that way any who manage to follow us into hyperspace will be less likely to find us should they follow our heading."

Barriss nodded before silently keying in something on the control board. Harry let the silence stretch for a short time before chuckling to himself. "Well…that was exciting."

* * *

Senator's Office

Arch-Provost's Palace

Capital City, Rendili

Rendili Sector, Core Region

Republic Loyalist Space

Senator Jan Duursema* was worried. No, more than that she was frightened. She knew she had done the right thing when she voiced her people's defiance against the new 'Emperor' of the Galactic Empire. That didn't mean she was blind to the consequences, or that she was unafraid of them. She'd known even as she'd defied Palpatine that his wrath would be terrible. Rendili was too valuable for him to allow it to secede from his sphere of influence.

Rendili had long been a hub of starship design and engineering work. And were famed for the Rendili Hyperworks corporation's skill. But it was not so much the people or the corporations that Palpatine would covet she knew. It was the shipyards. Rendili may not have possessed anywhere near the construction capability of Kuat, or Fondor, but they still had dozens of orbital stations and construction spheres which produced capital ships. Not to mention the hundreds of small craft construction facilities on the planet itself.

The Empire would be coming for them, they'd always known this, and had suspected from the start it would be sooner rather than later.

The small defence fleet Rendili maintained after the attempted coup a couple years previous had detected Imperial scouts probing their perimeter the evening previous. It was only a matter of time before the Imperial fleet arrived according to the Arch-Provost's tacticians.

And though she completely agreed with the measures she and the planet's leader had come up with, it didn't lessen her terror at what they would portend. What it would cost them as a people, but also personally, considering they had ordered it.

She therefore knew even as she placed an encrypted holo-com call to the Kuat system that what she was about to do might very well be signing her own death warrant.

There was a pause, before a brief tone sounded announcing the successful connection. "Senator Danu?" She began, her throat rasping somewhat uncomfortably, before she cleared her throat. "This is Senator Duursema, I have something of a proposal for you, it involves Hyperspace tugs and a lot of explosives—"

* * *

 **Felucia Orbit**

Third sister fought down the desire to flinch as the Emperor disconnected their holocom call rather sharply. As his agent on site, the responsibility for reporting the disastrous failure that had been her attempt to capture the Jedi, fell to her.

That the Emperor had been displeased about her failure to capture a target with critical intel was something of an understatement, she'd felt the Force's grip on her throat tighten as the Emperor considered killing her. Only to be released when he apparently thought better of it.

"Commander Bly…" She eventually asked absently, her mind still largely elsewhere as she unconsciously rubbed at her sore neck. "Has there been any progress with tracking them?"

The Clone Commander, still jittery from the 'battle', gave a start at being addressed, "What? Uh, I mean—No, Milady, our scouts have reported back from several positions along the projected jump vector. No sign of them yet."

She growled under her breath, she should have expected that she supposed, the Jedi knew the protocols for escape and evasion. Force, they'd written most of them!

"Er—ma'am, what do we do now?" He asked eventually, reluctant to interrupt her musings.

"For now we wait for orders, or intelligence. Your men may return to their clean up duties on the surface…" She instructed firmly. "Have the Commandos go over the site of the skirmish again. I want to see if we can figure out what happened."

The Commander nodded and relayed the instructions before speaking again, "Um—Ma'am, I mean…Milady, I was wondering if you could offer some insight on something."

She sighed, gritting her teeth slightly at the constant interruptions to her thoughts. "Yes, Commander?"

"Um—did I really get turned into a fuzzy little mammal there at the start? Because it sure felt like it…I mean, can the Jedi do that?" He ventured eventually.

The image of said 'fuzzy little mammal' that the Commander had 'turned into' popped into her head, and despite her frustration Third Sister had to struggle to contain a slightly hysterical laugh which threatened to bubble up out of her throat.

"Who knows Commander, the Jedi certainly seem to have more tricks up their sleeves than we'd realized. I suspect the flying…simians, were illusions. Why?"

"Illusions…right, good. Because I'd hate to think that was real…" He muttered, "Kriff, I still feel like I need a full body shave after that…"

This time she didn't manage to stop the laugh which bubbled up and rapidly ran out of control. The Clones around the bridge cautiously edged away from the woman. After all it was rarely a good thing when the Force wielder in the room started cackling like a villain from a holovid…

Turning on her heel and rapidly exiting the room the last the Clones heard from the Inquisitor that day was a strangled. "I'll be in my quarters!"

* * *

 **Late The Next Day**

 **Middle of Nowhere**

 **Just off the Perlemian Trade Route**

 **Near Lantillies**

"Do you have any idea what she's doing?" Barriss murmured quietly, watching Aayla as she meditated on the deck in the upper deck's crew lounge. It wasn't that the Jedi was meditating was odd. Jedi meditated, it was what they did. She knew that from extensive personal experience. It was the way her presence in the Force was subtly shifting in a way which neither she nor Master Ti could miss.

It was like her Force presence had acquired a flicker when Aayla meditated. It was highly disconcerting. Like her life in the Force was a guttering candle. The notable difference had been enough to drag the two away from the bridge to investigate, leaving the controls in the 'hands' of a reprogrammed astromech.

"I do not know," Shaak Ti confessed, "However I find myself curious enough that perhaps we should ask?"

"It would be better if you left her to it," A voice stated firmly, surprising them, though to their credit neither reacted significantly, only turning to see Harry standing there. "It won't do her any harm to be interrupted, but the technique does require concentration to learn."

Barriss blinked at him for a moment in consternation, "This is your doing then? It is caused by something you taught her?"

Harry cocked his head at them, "I assume, whatever 'it' is, you are referring to something you two are seeing with that Force sensory thing you Jedi do so well?"

Master Ti nodded, stepping away from the doorway which they had been observing the Twi'lek Jedi through. "Indeed, her presence in the Force is wavering, it is unlike anything I have witnessed…"

Harry made an 'ah' face and then nodded, "Okay, yeah I think I know what would cause that, why don't we move along though so we don't disturb her."

The pair of Force sensitives indicated their agreement and trailed after him forward towards the bridge. Harry propped himself up against the doorframe there "Sorry for interrupting like that. But Hermione's putting a lot of work into teaching Aayla occlumency, I'd rather we didn't slow her down any."

"Occlumency?" Shaak Ti inquired curiously folding her hands before her.

The 'wizard' nodded seriously. "It's a mental art form, has a lot of uses actually, connects one better to their magic or 'Force' if you prefer, helps them organize their thoughts and memories, better emotional control. Has the side effect of shielding a person's mind from external influences."

A couple things in that statement piqued Barriss' interest, however Harry continued before she could ask about them. "When discussing magic…the Force, with Aayla before you two arrived Hermione sorta figured out that Wizarding and Jedi philosophies are…not opposite —at least not in the way the Jedi and Sith are opposite— but take an alternate approach to connecting with the Force."

At their curious expressions he explained. "Jedi draw from without, taking the energy flowing through the universe around them and channeling it. This enables your impressive sensory abilities, and I suspect the precognitive flair you guys fight with." Harry mused, rubbing his chin idly. "Wizards & witches draw from within, from a wellspring if you will, that our bodies produce naturally. Hermione taught Aayla how to search for this internal wellspring. If I were to guess, her focusing on dipping into this wellspring instead of drawing from without is what is causing her to 'waver' as you said."

Both women stared at him in surprise. Understandably so, while any Jedi could tell you the Force flowed, to one degree or another, through all things, that their was a 'wellspring' that could be found inside was not something either of them had heard before.

After a few moments pondering that Shaak Ti spoke, "Is this…occlumency as you call it the reason I cannot properly sense you or Miss Granger?"

He nodded promptly, "Yes, at least according to the tests we ran with Aayla. We think that the defences we erect and the way in which we focus our minds inward cause our thoughts and our…output into the world around us to become internalized instead. It prevents mind reading and minimizes our signature outside ourselves."

Barriss felt silly doing it, like she was a youngling back in one of her creche classes, but she raised her hand. "I have a couple questions. You mentioned this technique provides emotional control and protection from external influences…could you explain that a little?"

She noticed Master Ti's eyes light with interest, the Jedi undoubtedly guessing the source of her interest. Harry bobbed his head agreeably, "Sure, once you've found you're 'wellspring' the technique is used to first enter your own mind, then organize it, utilizing your own magic in this way to exert such control over your own mind grants you a level of control over its functions, mostly in memory and self control. As to the second it is really just an extension of the first. It allows you to identify external intruders based on them being out of synch with the system you've created and force them out using your magic. However it also allows for the construction of mental…images for lack of a better term, you imagine your mind housed within a fortress of your own construction and protected by defenders and for all intents and purposes your mind makes it so. An attacker who attempts to enter your mind finds themselves pitted against anything you can dream up to protect you before they even enter the place where your thought memories and emotions are stored."

Shaak Ti looked as impressed at the notion of such a thing as Barriss felt. "If what you say is true, that would be an invaluable talent to foster for a Jedi…"

A chuckle was the response, "Yes, Aayla indicated that was the case. I take it then that you two might be interested in such a thing?" At their nods he looked pensive. "If it works for Aayla as well as it does for me and Hermione I see no reason why it shouldn't extend to you two as well…I know or rather suspect some of Aayla's reasons for being interested, could I ask what intrigues you two the most about it? It'll give me an idea if occlumency can help you find what you're looking for."

Barriss felt herself freeze at the question but was thankfully spared for the moment having to answer that by Shaak Ti speaking. "I admit I find the concept of an internal wellspring interesting, however I do find myself drawn to the notion of better memory recall and mental control. A Jedi's abilities are founded upon focus and control, if this technique can augment such things it is natural to suppose they might improve the use of our abilities."

Harry nodded, "I can see that I guess. While Witches and wizards are taught from the start to use incantations and gestures to control our magic, they really are secondary to the basis of their use. When it comes down to it the most important factors in using magic are; first the energy required to work it, second the ability to visualize what you desire to happen, third the willpower to make your thoughts reality. And occlumency could certainly help with all three of those. The words and gestures we learned as children were merely aids to getting our minds in the right place to cause those effects."

This answer seemed to please Shaak Ti and she looked thoughtful as she considered the implications of that. "And you?" Harry asked, turning his attention to Barriss.

She winced, cringing internally, "Er—it's complicated."  
To her surprise he just offered a small smile, "Isn't it always? Want to tell me about it?"

* * *

* Jan Duursema was one of those who worked on the Star Wars comic series 'Dreadnaughts of Rendili' Thus I figured I'd make a nod to her.

 **Author's Notes:** As ever PLEASE review and such it really helps fuel the creativity. Hope you all enjoyed that.

 **Special Thanks:** Thanks to my friendsTemporal Knight, HowInMadHowie and Delphinous for their assistance in planning, emitting and creating this chapter.


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** IMPORTANT. There is a reference to one of the most hated characters in the HP fandom below. Snape. DO NOT PANIC and please read through the whole chapter before deciding to A) quit reading or B) berate me. Okay, now that's out of the way...SURPRISE! It's a New Years Eve Chapter. The last post of the dreaded 2017. Here's to a hopefully somewhat better 2018! Thank you all for reading and hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **Middle of Nowhere**

 **Just Off the Perlemian Trade Route**

 **Near Lantillies**

Harry found Hermione in the tent which they'd set up in one of the secondary cargo holds. When he happened across her she was in the process of collating some of her notes into something more cohesive than the bullet points she'd taken thus far.

He knocked on one of the tent poles to gather her attention. "Hey Hermione, hate to interrupt your work, but could you come upstairs with me? Barriss is willing to tell us a bit about herself, but says she'd rather only tell the story once."

Harry noticed the way Juno perked up at the mention of Barriss' name. Juno really had taken a shine to her it seemed. "Yes, you can come along too Juno." He assured his familiar with rolling eyes before turning back to his nodding human friend.

"Sure, just let me put this away." She said indicating her pile of notes. He indicated he'd wait and a minute later she had her notes tidied away and was ready to go.

It was only a short while later that the three of them, Juno indeed having come along, exited the lift onto the command deck and walked into the crew lounge. Aayla had apparently finished her meditation session and was now leaning up against the far wall.

Barriss looked more uncertain than ever, though some of that stress melted away from her face when Juno, whole body wagging excitedly, trotted up to her and placed her head on the woman's lap. Barriss smiled slightly, gazing down at the dog as she began to scratch behind Juno's ears.

Harry and Hermione took the opportunity to get themselves seated across the table from the woman. Finally Barriss looked back up at them, chewing her lip nervously, before sighing. "I suppose I'd better just get on with it. It will get no easier with time."

Harry smiled gently at her, "If you would really rather not talk about it, that's fine. You don't need to feel pressured."

That produced a small twitch of the lips from the woman, which may have been the shadow of a grateful smile. "No, it is best not to keep secrets I find. Bottling these things up won't do me any good, and keeping the specifics about myself from you might breed resentment in time. Particularly if you meet someone who tells you the whole story in my stead." She asserted.

Barriss leaned back in her seat, her eyes darting this way and that, thinking. Her hands idly rubbing Juno as the dog secured a spot on the seat next to her, head still firmly in the woman's lap. "I suppose the beginning is as good a place as any. In case it wasn't obvious, I was once a Knight in the Jedi Order."

She grimaced, "I am a Mirialan, and I'm told I was born on a starliner which ran between Mirial and Coruscant on a regular basis. I was tested for Force Sensitivity by the hospital near the starport which the liner docked at on Coruscant. Standard procedure for such a facility. They found I indeed had a connection to the Force and my parents agreed to give me up to the Order for training."

Harry saw something in that had caught Hermione's attention, but at a small look from himself she exercised admirable restraint and didn't question Barriss as the woman fell into her recitation.

"I was part of a group of younglings called the 'Monkey Lizard Clan' don't ask—" She instructed firmly, her face disapproving. Harry noticed the small smiles quirking Aayla and Shaak Ti's lips, and assumed there must have been a running joke in there somewhere he wasn't aware of.

"I was raised in the creche alongside the others and underwent the basic education necessary to become a Jedi until I was twelve, at which time I was taken as a Padawan by Master Luminara Unduli."

There was a curious note in her voice at her 'Master's' name which Harry could not decipher. "I was trained by her for a number of years, and went on many missions and began to study as a Healer, something which I have—had, a talent for." She continued. "During this time I made friends with a Jedi named Tutso Mara, he actually is—was, the one who taught me how to hold a lightsaber…"

She paused considering, "I was eighteen when the Clone Wars began; which in case you were curious makes me twenty one now. I was present alongside my master for the first battle of Geonosis, the opening conflict of the war. One of the two hundred twelve Jedi to take part in that battle, and one of the only one hundred or so to survive the battle."

Harry blinked. He'd seen how deadly a Jedi could be in battle, both when observing Aayla in that initial battle she had led against the Separatists and in the battle against the clones and Sith when fleeing Felucia. That this battle Barriss was speaking of had exacted such heavy casualties spoke volumes about the scale and severity of the battle.

"I took part in several battles in the subsequent year or so, and during this time I made my second true friend, Ahsoka Tano a fellow Jedi Padawan. She saved my life shortly after the second battle of Geonosis. It wasn't long after I earned the rank of Jedi Knight and began my first deployments on my own. I took part in the Battle of Umbara, where General Krell, a respected Jedi Master betrayed us to the Separatists. Though most of my efforts were spent in one Republic Medical Unit or another trying to patch up clones and Jedi alike." She related quietly, her eyes going distant as she thought back.

"If I had to say where things began to go wrong for me though, I'd have to say it started on Drongar. A particularly unpleasant planet, its only redeeming feature, if such it can be called, was that it wasn't swarming with beasts as vicious as those commonly found on Felucia." Her tone had turned bitter, and Harry saw the two Jedi in the room shift uncomfortably. "That was an ugly battle. The environment killed nearly as many soldiers as the enemy…."

She frowned. "Drongar has precisely one resource of any worth. Bota, a plant with powerful medicinal effects for many species. Though due to both the conflict on the planet to secure its utility in the war, and other environmental factors, the plant was mutating and becoming useless for that purpose. Thus both sides struggled to secure as much of it as possible before it all became unusable."

"The conflict there went poorly for both sides, attacks on the base where I was stationed were common, I lost a close acquaintance during one of the battles…" She sighed. "During one of these struggles I was accidentally exposed to a dose of Bota, and found to my astonishment that it had powerful Force bolstering properties, opening me to it in ways I'd never have credited as possible…I also found out that Bota is highly addictive."

Shifting in her seat she sighed tiredly. "That much power was…unsettling, something I wasn't used to and because of my unsteady control of my connection to the Force, that is the first time I brushed the dark side."

Harry felt himself lean forward to prop himself on the edge of the table in front of him, his curiosity piqued. Aayla had spoken of the dark side in vague terms. Barriss' tone was very different from hers when she spoke the name.

"I managed to regain control and shook the addictive effects of the Bota. The battle ended and I was shifted to a new theatre, and I thought that was the end of it." She chuckled bitterly. "How wrong I was…"

She drew in a deep breath, and clenched one of her hands on the table in front of her, the other bunching in Juno's hair. "Has Aay—Has Knight Secura spoken of the dark side to you?" She asked abruptly looking to them.

"Some, though I think she was beating around the bush about the issue somewhat." Harry admitted, shooting the woman in question a small smile and earning an embarrassed look in return, before Aayla nodded agreement.

Barriss didn't even blink at the odd turn of phrase, "I will enlighten you a little then." She murmured, her eyes going vacant again, "The dark side is…power, raw and unadulterated. Ready and eager to serve anyone willing to pay the price of using it. And it is oh so _easy_ to use too," She muttered.

"All that one needs do in order to utilize its power is to reach for their connection to the Force in anger, fear, hatred or grief. It's right there when you need it, no focusing, and barely any meditation required." Here she paused, and Harry considered the woman before him. There was something in her voice as she spoke of it, something he'd not thought to find there from his experience with her thus far.

Her tone was gentle, almost wistful at times, while at others, filled with bitterness and regret. It was a tone he was familiar with, the sound of addiction, he'd heard it in the voices of criminals he'd dragged into the office as an Auror. She both loved and hated the dark side.

"What is the dark side?" Barriss asked, her tone once again hard. "It is a trap. It draws you in with easy power when you need it, the ability to do and be anything you need to be upon demand. It's only later that you learn the cost."

She paused, "The second time I brushed the dark side, it was willingly, though without any real thought put into it. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to hear its call." She recalled. "I was in a field hospital on yet another mission, the Jedi I was assigned as a partner was critically wounded and was dying, I was tired and so… _Sick_ of seeing those in my care die on my watch."

Barriss hurriedly rubbed at the bridge of her nose, before returning to her tale. "I reached for the Force in desperation, I needed the power to heal his wounds, and it was there. He healed, he lived."

She smirked at herself, "The dark side is tricky that way, it convinces you that there's no real harm in its use. That if you have enough control and are careful enough or only use it for good, it doesn't do any harm. After all, how can something I used to heal another be evil? At least that's what I told myself."

"More and more over the following months in moments of desperation I would reach for its power, to heal an injured soldier, to protect myself from harm…to slay my enemies." She recalled. "And more and more over the following months I found myself thinking about how weary I was, of the war, of having to heal soldiers who in all likelihood would die in the next skirmish despite my efforts to save their life. And as I thought about it; The angrier I got."

Harry had not really noticed it until now, but he now had a distinctive sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "The war is—such a waste. Millions, billions of sentients killed both military and civilian in a pointless conflict. Or so I thought, I was even right. To a degree anyways. I began to ponder the causes of the war and everything that was wrong with the conflict. And in time my eyes came to rest on the Jedi Order."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the headrest of the bench. "Jedi are not soldiers, not traditionally." She asserted, and Shaak Ti and Aayla both nodded agreement. "We've taken part in wars, though _almost_ always as peacekeepers. We were never supposed to lead warriors into battle. Though it happened once or twice in the past. Usually with awful consequences. The policy against it changed once again with the Clone Wars."

"Suddenly we found ourselves at the head of a massive slave army, a slave army commissioned by a Jedi, a slave army bred and trained to _follow_ Jedi." She murmured, though her voice was still loud enough for all present to hear. "We had influence with the Senate and experience as diplomats, why then were no significant efforts being made to sue for peace, why was it that more and more clone soldiers were being commissioned by the Republic? It was then that I came to believe that the Jedi were at the heart of the problem."

There was silence for a few moments as they digested that declaration, finally she resumed speaking, her voice rough. "You see how it starts don't you? You use the dark side in the hope of preventing suffering, but soon you find yourself forgetting that, and find yourself focusing on how much you _hate_ those who you believe caused that suffering. In the end the suffering doesn't even matter, only avenging it does, only making those who caused it _pay_ matters. You don't realize the way it's slowly warping your thinking away from rationality until too late."

"I began to meet in secret with those who believed as I did, that the war was wrong, that the Jedi were wrong, that something needed to be done to stop it. More and more I met with people who believed it would take drastic action to stop the war—Those months really were a blur to me. I was so focused on my new mission…" She said trailing off for a moment before speaking again. "You know it's odd, in some ways I remember those times with crystal clarity and at other times it's almost a fog. I barely remember why I was in those situations, or why I felt the way I did…"

Finally she straightened, her eyes opening as she sat up again and Harry saw there were tears in her eyes. "In the end I armed and provided a group of militants the means to attack the Jedi Temple itself,"

Harry felt Hermione stiffen next to him, and blew out a gusty breath himself shaking his head in sorrow. Barriss pressed on regardless, "The bomb, which I manipulated them into using, it destroyed the hangar they targeted and killed almost everyone inside. You recall Tutso Mara, my friend, the Jedi who first taught me how to use a lightsaber?" She asked, the tears now coursing down her cheeks, "He was killed in the blast. And, you know what? I barely felt anything, a modicum of regret, nothing more. Even after that I wouldn't have done anything different."

She paused, drawing in a shuddering breath. "The Jedi Council called in my other friend, Ahsoka, to investigate. I remember trying to get her to see things my way, subtly of course…when she wouldn't, and was actually closing in on the truth in her investigations, I was all too happy to manipulate matters so that blame fell on her instead. She was arrested, and charged with treason."

Gulping she shook her head, "I would have gotten away with it, you know that? The Jedi Order threw Ahsoka to the akks and let the Republic courts try her unaided. They would have executed her…had her Master, Anakin Skywalker, not investigated himself. Refusing to believe Ahsoka was guilty. I don't know how he did it, but he figured out I was the guilty party. He confronted me. And that's when it happened, when I realized what had happened to me."

Here, a small smile, equal parts bitter and rueful quirked her lips. "I reached for the dark side, its power flooded me, I was stronger than I had ever been before. I fought Anakin, and you know what? He, defeated me. Despite all my strength, all my power I lost. And I felt the dark side exult in my failure as he brought me down. It was done with me, I had served my purpose, it didn't need me anymore." She sighed, then chuckled. "I lost, he dragged me before the courts and exonerated Ahsoka. I admitted everything I had done. They let her go, and threw me back to the council to judge. Ironic considering how badly they had wanted to prosecute her for the same thing…"

Shaking her head she met his eyes, "Ahsoka left the Order, she felt betrayed by the way they had abandoned her in her hour of need. I was stripped of my rank and handed over to the mind healers, imprisoned in the asylum in the deepest part of the Jedi Temple's prison block. It was then they started trying to piece me back together. And you know what? Sometimes I wish they had just killed me."

At the hiss of indrawn breath from beside Harry, he saw Barriss' eyes dart challengingly to Shaak Ti. "No, it's true. I turned my back on everything I believed, I betrayed my ideals, the Order and my friends. I conspired to try and destroy that same Order and ultimately killed someone very dear to me, then framed another just as important to me for my crimes. Over two dozen people dead, a good Jedi, one of the best, left the Order because of me, and countless other people lost their faith in the Jedi because of my actions. Tell me honestly Master Ti, can you say that my life is not fair recompense for those crimes?" She demanded, eyes boring into the Jedi Master.

To her obvious surprise it was not the Jedi who responded, but Hermione. "Life is seldom about fairness." She murmured, catching everyone's attention. Her own eyes locking onto Barriss' when she turned to regard her. "Perhaps, it would have been _fair_ that you pay with your life for what you did. But, clearly the council did not feel the same. I know, speaking for myself, I am not sure what to think of everything you have just told me. However I will say this. If what you say is true, the dark side used you. Oh you may have reached out to it willingly at first, but soon enough it wasn't you calling the shots, at least not entirely."

Barriss looked set to protest, but Hermione overrode her. "You may have been in charge, but your emotions were clouded, as was your thinking. You weren't making decisions with a clear head, nor with accurate information. You let the darkness in and it used the opportunity to warp the way you saw the world. You were both you, and not at the same time. If I were to guess, I'd bet it was the recognition of this that saw the council sparing your life."

Shaak Ti nodded, stepping forward. "It was, at least in part. You see we knew you Barriss, as you once were. And one way or the other we failed you, just as we failed Ahsoka, whether that meant spotting the signs something was wrong, or our part in the war." She said firmly.

"We saw what you had become and knew that the woman we'd once known would never have done such a thing had she been herself. We checked and found that your spirit, your being in the Force was twisted and sick, infested with the dark side. You were defeated, and confined, no danger to anyone while contained so, we could not justify killing you when you might be returned to who you once were. Had your testimony not been crucial to exonerating Ahsoka, Anakin likely would have killed you for the danger you represented at that time. Instead, you got lucky, and circumstances dictated that our response change with them."

"I wish you had felt the same when my friend was before the Council's judgement." Aayla muttered discontentedly, and Shaak Ti nodded solemnly.

"It was a grave error on our parts." The Togruta Jedi agreed, her tone mournful.

Barriss stared at the Jedi Master quietly, and sighed, bowing her head. "I can never make up for what I did. I can never undo the damage I've done…"

Harry leaned back, considering the woman across from him seriously. "Maybe, maybe not. The fact you seem to wish that you could is promising…" he mused, scratching at his stubble a bit. He'd not shaved that day and a bit of stubble was showing. "If you'll let me tell you a story, I think you'll understand why I bring it up once we're done."

Barriss nodded cautiously, and he smiled thinly at her. "Alright then, let me tell you the rather sad story of Severus Snape—"

* * *

A good half hour later, as the story wound down, Harry explained his purpose. "Snape—Severus, may have been a cast iron pain in the neck, and was honestly not a great human being, in fact he was a rather pathetic excuse for one in general. That said, he also went to extraordinary lengths to bring about the downfall of the one who had killed his one time friend. He hated himself pretty much his entire life as near as can be told. And I can tell you that any that know his true story tend to feel somewhat conflicted when it comes to him."

Harry considered. "I admit he is not perhaps a _good_ example of atoning for one's sins. But he is perhaps a relevant one nonetheless. He went to great lengths in his quest."

Barris was staring at him, "You knew this man didn't you? You haven't said as much, but there's a familiarity in the way you've told this story."

Harry nodded. "His childhood friend was my mother,"

Shaak Ti and Barriss sat up a little straighter and considered him in a new light. "But that would make you the one spoken of in the prophecy he overheard…"

The human sighed and nodded, "Yes, yes I am. And as you can imagine I have more reason than most to hate him because of that. Yet I sometime struggle with that. If he were still alive…I think I'd be content never seeing him again. I'd let him go his own way."

The pair considered him. "I think I see what you mean, it's not so much what you did as to whether or not you try to make up for it that affect how you will be seen in times to come…" Barriss mused.

"In essence yes." Harry agreed. "And if it is any encouragement, you seem a great deal more repentant than Snape ever did. If you really will put in the effort to make up for what you did…Well?" He trailed off, letting her draw the conclusions on her own.

She eyed him cautiously before nodding. "Thank you. I will think on what you've said."

"For my own part," Hermione began, "I will say that so long as you continue to live up to your professed desire to make up for what you've done I'll have no problem with you. Just keep in mind, those who get second chances rarely get a third."

Barriss bobbed her head, accepting the subtly implied warning "My thanks."

It was a couple minutes later as Harry saw to distributing refreshments from the crew galley that Hermione smiled and blushed sheepishly. "Now, I don't want you to think I'm diminishing the importance of what we just discussed, but there is a somewhat…tangential point I'd like to go back to. Something that intrigued me, and I confess I'd like to follow up on before I forget."

The mirialan smiled wanly, but indicated she understood she meant no insult. "Go ahead."

"You mentioned you were tested for Force sensitivity as an infant?" Hermione ventured. "How was that possible? Did they have a Jedi at the hospital who could sense it?"

Shaak Ti shook her head, unintentionally gathering their attention. When she saw their eyes on her she explained. "I do not know if such a thing is possible among your people, but we can determine Force sensitivity via a blood test which is done with the intent of discovering midichlorian density within a host body."

"Midichlorians being what exactly?" Hermione asked, pulling out her notepad and writing a couple points down.

"Microscopic organisms. It is believed they help facilitate a connection to the Force. As they are only common in any numbers within those who can connect to it. The more midichlorians the more…Force, I guess you could say, a person can wield. It's more complicated than that of course, and 'power' does not equate automatically to skill per se. And the exact details of the relationship are debated to this day." Shaak Ti explained patiently.

"Such as?" Hermione probed.

"Are the midichlorians the source of our connection to the Force, or are they a result of it? Is a large population of them prerequisite to Force ability or merely a symptom? Perhaps they are generated by the Force itself among those it chooses to gift with it's touch? No one knows for certain. All that is truly known is that there is some correlation between their numbers and how successfully a being connects with the Force." Shaak Ti explained. "It is known that meddling with them is generally a bad idea. And has unpredictable effects on the host and Force phenomena around them." She shrugged. "I confess we Jedi are reluctant to delve more deeply into the matter. There's an almost superstitious dread surrounding such experimentation."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully as she finished jotting down her notes. "I don't suppose you have the ability to run such a test here? Just for curiosity's sake? I wonder if Harry and I have midichlorians too."

Shaak Ti looked intrigued by that question, "Actually, we do indeed have the ability to run such a test. It is a fairly standard blood test, the medical equipment here on the ship would be more than sufficient. In fact—" She started fiddling with pouch at her belt and withdrew a small syringe. Notably lacking a needle of any kind. "If you wish we could run such a test right now."

Harry saw his friend's eager expression and sighed, rolling his eyes fondly. "What is it about people, and always being after my blood?" He joked. Before turning serious. "I'll let you take a look at it sure, but I'll be making sure to destroy the sample after you're done." He warned. This produced quizzical expressions from the Jedi but he didn't elaborate.

Hermione rolled up her sleeve, and presented her arm to the Jedi at her request. The syringe pressed against the skin of her elbow and Shaak Ti drew back the 'plunger' causing the reservoir to fill with blood.

At this point Shaak Ti had to leave, returning a couple minutes later with what appeared remarkably similar to a medical crash cart one might see in a hospital on earth from the med-bay. She inserted the vial of blood into the machine and linked it into a nearby wall monitor which lit up with a readout.

"Now, while it works, I suppose I had better explain a little of what you will see from the readouts. A midichlorian test determines the average number of the microorganisms per cell. An average non-Force Sensitive human will have around 2,500 per cell. Myself I have around 10,300* per cell which is considered largely respectable if not necessarily impressive. Grand Master Yoda has around 17,000 and until recently was the highest on record."

Hermione latched onto the qualifier there. "What is the highest recorded number now?"

Shaak Ti appeared uncomfortable but apparently decided to answer regardless. "That would be Anakin Skywalker, who's exact number is unknown as it falls somewhere over 20,000 per cell. If a more sensitive test has been run to determine his exact count I am unaware of it."

As if on cue, the machine emitted a tone and a readout appeared. Shaak Ti nodded apparently impressed, though exactly what it was that impressed her about the images displayed was unclear until she spoke. "15,000 per cell. Very respectable Miss Granger."

Hermione appeared satisfied with that result, and happily took back the vial from the Jedi when it was offered, before banishing the blood into non-existence with a spell and handing it back. Shaak Ti eyed the vial in her hand somewhat skeptically for a moment. "I think—I'll sterilize this just in case…"

It was around five minutes later that she finally got around to withdrawing a blood sample from Harry and the test neared completion. Harry had been considering what had been learned thus far. "Uh—just a warning, my blood test might read a bit…odd." He eventually suggested.

Shaak Ti merely gave him a curious look at that, though that look shifted to outright vexation when the results finally came in. "Strange, very strange…" She murmured.

"What, is strange?" Aayla asked, speaking for the first time in the proceedings.

"Had Harry not warned me the results might be odd I'd suspect the sample was contaminated somehow…" Shaak Ti explained, she pointed to three separate readouts on the screen. "The test is having difficulty pinning down a number, and there are three separate species' DNA showing in this blood, as well as several toxic contaminants. The first is certainly Harry's, reading as human. The other the computer speculates is some kind of reptile? And the last as an avian…It's attempting to isolate the samples now."

Harry gave Hermione a significant look, which she answered with an amused snort and rolled eyes. Shaak Ti frowned as a new readout came up. "This can't be right…"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed before explaining. "According to this you should be very, _very_ dead. There is a powerful poison in your blood, one which could drop a full grown Rancor with ease…" She grimaced looking over the other readouts. "The midichlorian counts are still unclear and I have difficulty crediting them as possible. The reptilian cells read anywhere between 20 and 25 thousand per cell." She said indicating the first DNA strain. "the avian reads as closer to 50 thousand…and the human…somewhere between 16 and 22. That's the best reading a can get with this equipment."

At Harry's amused expression she sighed. "Care to explain? You clearly know something I don't."

He smiled ruefully, "Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, so much as at the absurdity of my own situation. I was bitten when I was fairly young by a magical breed of snake known as a basilisk, it is one of the most deadly creatures known to exist where we're from. I almost certainly would have died were it not for a magical bird known as a phoenix shedding it's tears into the wound. The tears have pretty much unmatched healing properties. It's one of the few things that can overpower a Basilisk's venom."

She blinked at him. "Force sensitive creatures are not unheard of though I must admit these breeds sound stranger than usual…"

Harry nodded. "There are a wide variety of magical creatures where we're from. Some are benign, some less so…"

Barriss leaned forward, surprising them with her apparent interest. "Can you tell us about some of them?"

Harry nodded, "Sure, it'd be easier to give you a book, but I'd bet none of you read English at present…Hermione, you want to explain? You'll do a better job of it I'm sure."

His friend bobbed her head eagerly, "We can start with the two species we've mentioned thus far. Basilisks, are a five X species, under Ministry classification. Meaning they're an untameable apex predator with a penchant for killing even skilled witches and wizards. They're created via a very strange ritual, which we won't go into." She started, clearly excited to share some information with new people. "They are a snake, and start out as small as any common breed, they are effectively immortal however and do not stop growing throughout their life. They kill primarily by sight, if you see their eyes, you die. Simple as that."

This produced a startled look from the Jedi, but Hermione pressed on heedless. "They possess a secondary method of killing which is their venom. It is among the most potent magical toxins in existence and only grows more so with the snake's age. While the Basilisk which bit Harry was blinded, it was nevertheless very deadly. It was over a thousand years old we believe."

"Ruddy big sucker too," Harry grumbled. "Nearly sixty feet long by that point and around five feet between the eyes."

The Jedi gaped at them, "Were such creatures common where you come from?" Barriss eventually asked weakly.

Hermione shook her head. "No, basilisks are exterminated if they're ever found. And they have to be intentionally created by a dark witch or wizard."

"Such a beast must have been a mighty foe…" Aayla noted.

Harry nodded emphatically, "I maintain to this day I survived killing it more by luck than by skill. No child my age has any right to be bringing down a beast like that."

"How old were you?" She asked.

"Twelve." This understandably produced more staring.

"What about the other creature, was it as much of a horror story as that snake?" Barriss asked, somewhat acerbically.

Harry shook his head, smiling slightly. "No, Phoenixes are very different from Basilisks. Firebirds. They can effectively teleport by bursting into flame and disappearing before reappearing in a fireball somewhere else. They are also very strong, able to carry loads ten times their weight, strangest life cycle of any creature I've ever heard of. Once they're too old, they burst into flame one last time and crumble to ashes. Then are reborn as a chick from the remains."

Again more staring. "Such a thing should not be possible." Shaak Ti noted.

"I'd tend to agree, but I've actually witnessed a Phoenix's burning day, startled the life out of me I must say." Harry confided. "Fawkes, was a good friend. I wish I knew where he'd gone in the end."

The Togrutan Jedi was now rubbing tiredly at the bridge of her nose. "I would say you were in jest, were it not for the fact I have witnessed several things I would have considered impossible from you."

Harry considered that, "How about this, it may be a little easier to stomach it all if you read it from a book rather than hearing it from us. I'm sure if we work together on it we can teach each other to read one another's languages."

Hermione perked up, "Yes! Please, it'll make my job so much easier if I can read pre-existing records."

The two Jedi were nodding thoughtfully now. "That should be doable," Aayla ventured. "And I admit I'd be interested to learn your language as well. A trade then? Your language for ours?" She suggested.

Hermione leapt to her feet when this met with general approval. "There will be so much science!" She crowed, before rushing from the room.

The others looked to Harry, who sighed fondly. "I think she's excited," He deadpanned before moving to follow her, only to stop in the doorway and reach out a hand summoning his own vial of blood back to him and banishing it and the vial both from existence. "Better safe than sorry." He said shortly before exiting the room.

The Jedi stared at each other. "And here I was thinking things couldn't get any weirder." Barriss grumped.

* * *

Aayla watched the retreating backs of their new friends, before turning her attention to Shaak Ti and Barriss. Shaak Ti arched an eyebrow at her before looking to the former healer seated behind the table, still idly rubbing the animal's head. "Barriss, I'd recommend taking some time to regain your equilibrium." She suggested calmly, getting a small nod in acknowledgement, before turning to the Twi'lek Jedi beside her, "Aayla, I'd like to discuss something with you should you have a moment."

Aayla bobbed her head, she'd suspected Shaak Ti would wish to talk after those discussions and followed the Togruta as she crooked a finger towards the cockpit.

Once there, Shaak Ti pointedly sealed the door and turned to her friend, again cocking an eyebrow at her. "You knew some of that already I take it? That our new friend is the subject of a prophecy?"

Aayla shifted uncomfortably, but grudgingly nodded, feeling uneasy, "Yes, I knew. Harry and Hermione mentioned it before."

Shaak Ti considered her, "It is odd timing, is it not, that just as our 'Chosen One' turns against the Republic and the Jedi, a boy appears, seemingly from nowhere with a history of defeating dark lords and powers the Jedi and Sith have barely dreamed of?" She sighed, and cursed rather colourfully in mando'a, "He's practically a chosen one himself…"

Unfortunately Aayla wasn't quite quick enough to conceal her grimace at that turn of phrase and Shaak Ti caught it. "What?"

Aayla couldn't see a way forward without being forced to admit what she knew. "They called him that, 'Chosen One'. Harry's people I mean."

The other Jedi rubbed tiredly at her eyes in exasperation, "And you don't feel it's relevant? That it's important in some way?" Shaak Ti asked skeptically.

Aayla shook her head, "I do actually, but I'd recommend against pressing the issue with them."

"Why?" Shaak Ti asked carefully, realizing she was pushing on something important.

"Because Harry hates that title, what's more being the subject of a prophecy has done nothing but cost him throughout his life." Aayla explained baldly. Remembering a few of the things he'd let slip in her time with them. "It would not be just of us, after they have saved us from destruction, to lay the burden of our conflicts upon him."

Shaak Ti considered that before settling, nodding. "You are correct, it would not be right to place that burden upon them. It is not their war. And leaning so heavily on prophecy has led us to this point in many ways I fear. Still, I cannot help but wonder if he'll be playing a part in things anyways."

Aayla smiled sadly, thinking of how true that was, "I fear you may be right, but they will not be forced into this while I have anything to say about it. If they get tangled up in this further, it will be because they chose it…"

* * *

It was a couple hours before, once again they found themselves gathering in the crew lounge. This time it was as a result of a surprisingly excited Barriss announcing that her datapad had come online and started updating. What the significance of this was, was largely lost on the two humans, until Aayla had patiently explained that it meant the holonet was back online.

What the holonet was, and why it was offline required a bit of explanation, but they soon figured it out. The holo-net was a galaxy spanning information network, similar to the internet back home. The network had largely been shut down except for militarily encrypted channels during the war. A necessity to choke off the worst of the holo-net espionage that would have taken place.

It took a minute to figure out why it was coming online again, but they soon discovered the truth of it. While all Imperial and Separatist worlds were still cut off, the Republic loyalists had reactivated a handful of services using the hubs under their control. Updates to what the Jedi referred to as 'holo-ware' from manufacturers and such came first. That had taken a good half hour while the various connected devices synced.

The Jedi had been careful to double and triple check their devices were still secure despite the updates before accessing any further features. When they did eventually get around to it they discovered that the only major service currently available were various news networks.

"Really? The first article up on the Corellian Holo-net is that Akk Stygies won another gambling tournament on Nar Shaddaa." Barriss griped, much to the amusement of the other two Jedi.

"What do you expect, they're Corellians." Aayla teased, and Barriss had to concede this was true.

"I take it Corellians are big into gambling?" Harry asked.

This earned an amused snort from Shaak Ti. "The Corellians are a headstrong and independent people," She explained patiently, "While they are certainly not anarchistic they tend to be a little…roguish in general. If you run into a smuggler or gambler, there's a good chance they're Corellian. Most of the ships that come out of Corellian shipyards come equipped with hidden compartments."

Barriss had apparently started looking for more news as she waved to gain their attention again. "Apparently the Jedi's efforts to get the word out were more effective than expected…"

"Oh?" Aayla asked, sounding curious. Justifiably interested in just what her and Shaak Ti's efforts had achieved.

"The Kuat sector, Pantora, Chandrilla, Alderaan, Corellia, Onderon Rendili, Kashyyyk and about two hundred others seceded from the Empire, declaring themselves Republic Loyalists." Barriss reported reading off the list.

The pair of Jedi blinked owlishly at her, "Really? Kuat and Rendili stayed loyal?" Shaak Ti asked surprised.

"That's significant I assume?" Hermione chirped, once again taking notes.

Aayla nodded, "Kuat and Rendili are major shipyards. Kuat is actually the largest in the galaxy, until now it provided the majority of the Republic warships for the Clone Wars. I would have assumed Palpatine would have them firmly under his thumb…What about Fondor?" She asked turning her attention back to Barriss who shook her head sadly.

"No, they're still with the Empire as are most of the other minor shipyards. Still, it's got to be a major blow to lose those sectors." She noted, scrolling down. "Uh-oh…"

The Jedi looked to her sharply.

"They've posted a list of all Jedi the Empire is hunting for, so that the Jedi might watch their backs. There's a two million credit bounty on any Jedi of Knight Rank. There are a number of high profile Jedi with even larger bounties…" Barriss explained.

"Sort of a double edged gift, while any Jedi who see the warning will be on the lookout, you can be sure the more criminal elements out there will be interested to hear there's money on our heads…" Aayla grumbled. "Do I want to know if I'm on the lists?"

Barriss grimaced. "Fifteen Million for you…and Twenty for Master Ti, apparently both are wanted for crimes against the Empire and its people, terrorism and treason." She continued to look the article over. "Huh…There's a bounty for 'an unknown Force Sensitive' who matches the description of Harry here."

Harry sat up sharply at that, "What?"

She nodded, "Apparently they have a rather grainy picture of you from a security cam on Felucia…wanted for aiding and abetting the Jedi and for theft of Imperial Property. Only two million credits at present."

Hermione shook her head wearily, "Only you Harry; you've been here less than a week and you're already on the Galaxy's most wanted list."

Harry gaped like a landed fish at her for a minute before nodding sadly, "Yeah, that seems to be in keeping with my luck doesn't it? Anything else interesting?" He asked looking to Barriss.

She frowned, "Only a couple, the Emperor declared the Clone Wars over. There are rumours the Separatist Council are dead on Mustafar, they mention Skywalker as well, but that's all unconfirmed for the moment…"

Aayla shook her head, "I'm not sure if I want any of that to be true or not, if the Council is dead, the Separatists will be without a united leadership. It would make them easy pickings for the Empire."

Harry could see the sense in that, "It would certainly be better to have the Empire fighting a war on two fronts. Though I find it mighty convenient that the Separatist Council turn up dead the moment their side is inconvenient to this new Empire."

Barriss was muttering to herself, and they turned to look at her. "Rumours from Rendili as well, it sounds bad, Imperial scouts have been spotted on system's edge."

"Let's hope the Force is with them then, the last thing the Republic needs is for the Empire to gain another shipyard." Aayla murmured.

* * *

 **Author's End Note:** See, the world didn't end because I mentioned Snape! Ahem...I mean...Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please Rate, Review, Comment and such, it really helps to have feedback from you guys. See you in the new year!

 **Author's Notes:** Forgot this, so here I am to add it in a few days later. My Thanks to my Betas. HowInMadHowie and Temporal Knight. They've been really great, so I'm really sorry that I forgot this segment when I first posted the chapter.


	12. Chapter 11

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I suppose I should open by saying I apologize for the delay in posts, and that I'm sorry this chapter isn't all that long all things considered. Real Life has been a _real_ pain in my backside lately, add to that some mistakes I made with planning and my 'muse' (still hate that term) deciding to go on strike and I _really_ struggled with this chapter. While I am hopeful that future chapters might flow a bit easier, I can in no way guarantee that they will come soon. That said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please review and such if you have the time.

* * *

 **Rendili**

 **Rendili System**

Flight Captain Nesdev Gribris, of the Rendili Planetary Defence Force Starfighter Corps. sunk into the pilot's seat of his ARC-170's forward cockpit. Leveraging himself off the open canopy as he swung himself into position so as to avoid clattering his elbows on the tight edges of the cockpit. Casting a brief look around the hangar as he strapped himself in, he watched as pilots, flight crew and droids rushed this way and that as the Capital City, 5th Squadron, Black Lancers prepared for battle.

The enemy hadn't arrived yet, thank the Force—or whomever else might be listening—for that. But intel and readings from various perimeter defence stations around the sector suggested that would change soon.

As he connected his breath mask to his helmet, he heard his co-pilot, Kendara Aghu, also known as 'Hammer', thump into her seat in the cockpit behind his as he unhooked his helmet from its place on the cockpit wall and onto his head. Securing the vacuum seal about his neck with an odd squelching pop as the rubber like material fixed into place. "You alright back there, Hammer? Is Dorn in back yet?" He asked referring to their tail gunner.

There was a brief pause. "Yeah, he's just strapping in now. Just waiting on R4-C9 and we'll be ready. Flight check?" She responded a moment later.

He nodded absently, as he hooked himself into the fighter's life support system via his seat. Then began the system's check. Most of it was automated, and the R4 unit would run it's own check from it's socket in a couple minutes he was sure, but a double check from the cockpit was a good idea. After flicking a few switches and pressing the corresponding buttons everything lit up correctly. "Check reads green," He responded.

The silence lasted only a few moments, "You okay back there? Aghu, Dorn?" He asked. Watching over his shoulder as the crew worked to haul the astromech droid up and into its socket.

There was a derisive snort over the helmet's built in comms, "Not really, no." Came from the tail gunner. "Whole fraggin' galaxy is coming down around our ears brother."

A small part of Nesdev's mind winced at that. Dorn wasn't the sort to admit to being discomfited by something. That he was voicing his displeasure now…well, he didn't blame him.

"Too right," Hammer snapped. "Kriffin' traitors. What's it come to that more than half the Republic have said. 'Oh yeah, lets murder some Jedi and turn ourselves into an Empire, what a great idea?"

Nesdev grimaced. "I tend to agree. Especially if what the newsies say is true. But let's not get distracted hey? If this is it, and the Empire's come for us, we're gonna need our heads in the game." He asserted.

"Roger that," Hammer agreed after a sigh.

One of the flight mechanics hunkered down beside him, "See-nine's in place Captain!" The man shouted over the rising sound of engines spinning up. "Good luck up there!"

He waited until he was sure the ground crew were well clear before slamming the canopy closed overhead and starting the engines up. That was one of the nice things about modern star starfighters. The machinery sure spun up quick.

He hooked them into the squadron's comms and listened to the slowly building chatter from the other pilots and crews. There was, quite disconcertingly, very little in the way of eager pre-combat banter. Everyone knew the coming battle was going to be an ugly one.

After the failed attempt by a portion of the fleet to defect to the Separatists earlier in the war, the Rendili Defence Fleet had been nearly gutted. Most of their heavy capital ships confiscated by the Republic for their perceived betrayal. What was left…well it wouldn't stand up well to the might of the Empire.

"Alright everyone," Came the voice of Major Thom Gurns over the battle net. "Fleet Comm's certain, incoming Imperial forces. In light of the less than stellar predictions for a siege a new strategy has been implemented. High Command has ordered the civilian population to make for the shelters and the countryside along with all Planetary Defence Force ground units. Fleet's got orders for a scorched space policy."

Nesdev heard a series of gasps and swears over the comm. The Major didn't bother to silence them. He likely shared their sentiments after all. They all knew what this meant for Rendili. The fleet would even now be evacuating and preparing to destroy all of Rendili's orbital shipyards, platforms and depots. If the Empire wanted Rendili's manufacturing capability, they'd let them have nothing but ashes.

It was a blow to their pride; those shipyards were the jewels of Rendili, destroying them, even to deny the Empire, was always going to hurt.

"Our job is simple. Protect the Capital ships and bombers while they destroy the non-mobile platforms. Also, if needed we'll be covering the hyperspace tugs as they hightail it out of system with what mobile assets we can get away with." The major reported.

The ground crews were moving again, using glowing batons to guide the now, slowly moving starfighters into their launch positions.

"I hate to ask this boss man, but what about after that?" One of the other pilots asked over the comm.

"The Empire will be sure to try and stop us and the fleet from completing our mission. If there's any of us left…well we either bug out, or go down swinging." He said frankly. "You all clear?"

There was a series of affirmative murmurs over the channel at that. Before an alarm sounded outside in the hangar. "Shavit…Alright boys and girls, words just come down, the Empire's arrived. Let's show them what it means to fight pilots from Rendili!"

It was only a couple minutes later as the fighter began their assent into orbit, the strange hushed quiet of space closing in around him, his own breath rasping in his ears, that Nesdev saw the sky light up, trails of fire appearing above them as chunks of burning space station began to enter the atmosphere. And beyond that, the firecracker flashes and streaks of magnesium bright light of battle.

"Stang—" Hammer muttered over the comm. barely heard over the humming rumble of the starfighter, as the dark shape of one of the Rendili cruisers shattered in a burst of light and fire. Nesdev adjusted his grip on the control yoke, trying to ignore the suddenly sweaty feeling of his hands.

"This is Major Gurns. Black Lancers? Here we go. Set S-Foils in attack position and follow me…May the Force be with us!"

* * *

 **Tantive IV**

 **Near Alderaan**

Yoda, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, sat quietly in his chair, his gimmer stick tapping an absent beat on the floor. One could say that he was meditating, but that suggested a rather specific and regimented activity for a Jedi which he was not currently engaged in. He was…reminiscing. Quite appropriately, about that same aged walking stick.

He had possessed it these many, _many_ long years. It had stood him in good stead, only in these last couple hundred years becoming truly necessary to aid in his mobility. After so long, he was intimately familiar with every pit and crack in the aged wood. He could tell you where each and every one of them had originated. Like that pit he even now was running his finger over. That one had come from giving a particularly arrogant Zabrak Padawan a light rap on his head, gouging the wood on one of his horns.

There were many good memories associated with his faithful walking stick, but there were just as many bad ones these days…Those same pits reminding him of those who had died, either in times long past or those who had fallen in recent days.

Yoda huffed a deep sigh, noting every creak, ache and groan from his aged bones. As odd as it might sound, he actually appreciated those sensations, they reminded him he was still alive to feel them.

The others in the room, left him to his pondering in peace. He had long since ceased watching the holo projector which was even now following the progress of the battle at Rendili. If anything that demanded his attention came up the others would inform him.

He was tired of war. Understandable considering how much had been lost these last few years. But it was more than that. While there had not been a true galaxy spanning conflict of the sort of the Clone War and this new civil war, prior to this time in his life, there had been an endless series myriad conflicts which he and other Jedi had been forced to mediate throughout his tenure.

He heard one of the officers on the ship's bridge note the beginning of bombing raids by the Empire against the planet itself, and shook his head in woe for the people who were even now dying many light years away. Promising himself that those who were sacrificing and suffering would be given justice in time. He'd see to it personally.

There was nothing he could do for the people of Rendili right now, save to see that those who would avenge their deaths would be able to do so in times to come.

If not for what some were already calling the 'Miracle at Felucia', there might not be any yet able to do so. If not for Aayla Secura's warning, and Shaak Ti's well thought out response, there might not be a Jedi Order or a Republic left to act.

Nevertheless, the situation was dire. Many Jedi were still out of contact, fallen in battle, or lost to the mists of war, he had no way of knowing which. The Republic, what remained of it was not ready for war save for a few well fortified worlds such as Kuat.

An intelligent young officer in service to Senator Organa had suggested contacting the Separatist remnants with offers of an alliance. A proposal which had been met with great caution, but eventual widespread agreement. As such, they had attempted to pursue it in the hopes of securing the support of those who shared their common foe.

Unfortunately these attempts had failed, though they had only discovered why a short while before. The Separatist Council was dead. Slain on Mustafar by Anakin Skywalker according to the reports coming in.

Anakin…learning of the young man's fall to darkness, had brought great pain to his heart. For all his worries over the years that such might indeed come to pass with the Jedi, he had still respected the bright young human for his strength and courage. It pained him that he was lost, but more than that it had pained him to send his former Master to stop him.

Obi-Wan had reported in, not so long ago, though it brought him little in the way of comfort. He had been certain that he would have sensed Anakin's defeat, that he had not troubled him.

Obi-Wan had clearly been wracked by great guilt and pain when he'd reported the happenings on Mustafar. Yoda worried about the suffering these events would undoubtedly bring to those who had held Anakin dear. Ahsoka, who had been his apprentice…

Padme Amidala, who had apparently loved the young Jedi, only to be attacked by that same love in his fallen state. Something which would need careful handling.

Again he sighed and looked up to regard the drawn and pained face of Senator Organa as the young man glanced to him for answers he did not have. "Request I do, that a call be connected to Jedi Master Shaak Ti." He said firmly. "Urgent matters to discuss with her I have."

Organa frowned slightly before nodding. "Of course, shall I have it connected here or in the conference room?"

Yoda pondered that a moment, "No complaint I have, about you being witness to this discussion. Connected here, it should be. Provide you I can, with the appropriate channel."

Bail glanced aside to one of the officers and nodded silently. The officer approached the aged Jedi with a datapad which Yoda dutifully entered the needed data into. It was less than a minute later the images of the ongoing battle disappeared and were replaced with the glowing blue representations of Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura.

"Glad I am, to see that you are well." He greeted. "Even more pleased I am to see that safely collected Jedi Secura has been."

Both Jedi smiled slightly at him through the projection. "We're glad you're safe as well, Master Yoda." Aayla said. "We'd been hoping you'd make contact with us soon."

He nodded his understanding, before briefly regarding the readouts on the call. "See I do, that you no longer reside on Felucia. Right am I, in assuming that in need of making a hasty retreat you were?"

A small momentary grimace from both of them, "Indeed Master, the Clones were able to track us to our hiding place with the aid of a hostile Force User. We engaged in a brief skirmish with them before abandoning the planet."

"Understand, I do." He said calmly, absorbing yet another report of a Force Sensitive agent serving the Empire. There had been many such reports in recent days. "Wish I do, that converse more freely we could. An important matter there is, however, that we need to discuss."

The other Jedi inclined their heads in understanding, and awaited him to continue. "Wounded in the Outer Rim, Senator Amidala was. In grave condition she remains, requiring healing urgently. While confident I am in the ability of those who shall care for her, feel better I would if Jedi assistance she had."

"And thus you thought of us." Shaak Ti murmured calmly. "We have a number of people here with skill in healing." She agreed.

Yoda cocked his head at her curiously. "Suggests, your words do, that to others besides yourself and former Jedi Offee, you refer."

There was a slight pause, before both Jedi nodded. "While on Felucia, Aayla encountered a pair of Force Sensitives. It is largely thanks to their assistance that she discovered the plot against the Republic and Jedi. One of them is a competent healer. I would not be at all surprised if he were able to assist in this."

Yoda nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. There was more at work there than was being said he sensed. That said, if the significant looks he was receiving from the pair were anything to go by, it was important that he meet these mysterious Force users. "Understand I do, and glad for his assistance we would be." He assured them, noting the loss of tension as the other Jedi heard him. "Master Ti, Master Secura. To Kuat you should go. A place there is, prepared for the Jedi at that world. It is there to which the Senator is being taken."

The pair of Jedi blinked and began nodding slowly. "We'll head there right away." Aayla said cautiously. "Master Yoda. I do not mean to sound contradictory, however I would remind you that I have only attained the rank of Knight."

Yoda chuckled, shaking his head. "Your actions were they not, that saved the Jedi Order, yes? And survived you have in the face of overwhelming odds. See no reason do I, that remain only a knight you should…The right to confer upon you the rank of Master I maintain, even now. No objections do I see from Master Ti. Unless objections, you yourself have. A Master of the Jedi Order you are."*

Aayla blinked in shock before shaking her head. "I have no objection Master Yoda. I was merely surprised. And I thank you."

He nodded sagely. He understood her confusion, for a long time she had been denied what she had justly earned by other, more conservative members of the council. It was long past time he put his foot down and gave her what she had earned through hard work, long years of service and more than a few tears. "Glad I am, that accept this rank you do. However, time, grows short it does. Meet you I will at Kuat and discuss more matters of import in person I will."

"Of course Master. We will head out right away. May the Force be with you." Shaak Ti said, bowing slightly, followed shortly by the newly minted Master Secura.

"And with you." He murmured calmly, before the holocall ended.

There was a brief pause before Senator Organa spoke. "So we shall make for Kuat then? It is probably for the best all things considered. If Alderaan and her sector worlds are to be protected we'll need to negotiate for additional ships from our allies." He noted absently.

Yoda understood the man's concern. The people of Alderaan were not a warlike people. Indeed that sector had perhaps the smallest Defence Fleet of any in the Republic. If they hoped to avoid the same fate as Rendili was suffering even now, they would need to change this.

"Yes, complete any matters outstanding you have here at Alderaan you should. Then we shall make all haste to Kuat. Tell me, the Force does, that momentous events are about to occur there. Needed we shall be."

As the Senator voiced his understanding and began relaying orders, Yoda sank back into his chair, his thoughts once more turning to weighty matters. He hoped, whatever or rather whoever it was that the Force was telling him accompanied Masters Ti and Secura, that they would in some way provide the answer as to just how he and the other Republic leaders would see themselves through this new crisis.

* * *

 **Near Orbit Rendili**

 **Rendili System**

Nesdev cringed as his fighter jolted sharply from an impact on its shields and See-nine let out an alarmed shriek as some stray cannon fire whipped past the fighter. The impact had sapped their shields entirely and he fought down the panic he felt as the rain like patter of micro debris resonated through the now unprotected hull.

There was a painfully bright flare of light as one of the orbital platform's reactors gave out and exploded, the coaxium hypermatter in its fuel reserves igniting all at once.

The temperature inside the cockpit was growing uncomfortably warm despite the cooling units being on full, it was the adrenaline and agitation of battle that were causing him to run hot. Not ideal considering his need to concentrate on the battle.

He swerved his fighter around a wounded Rendili frigate, narrowly avoiding it's guns which were pouring out a continue stream of laser-cannon fire as it tried to screen the enemy fighters making attack runs on itself and the cruiser it was defending. The magnesium white-blue flares of weapons fire searing their temporary images into his eyes despite the cockpit's auto-polarizing layers.

He could hear the steady thump thump thump of the tail guns echoing through the hull as Dorn fired at any targets of opportunity to enter his cross-hairs.

The battle was not going well. The Rendili fleet had managed to destroy roughly half of the non-mobile platforms and had even succeeded in covering the escape of all the shipyard's mobile assets. However this had come at extreme cost.

Of the eighty or so capital ships which had defended Rendili, mostly dreadnought class, heavy cruisers and Charger escort frigates, only about thirty remained. The rest had been swept aside. The Rendili fighter corps had managed somewhat better, it was true, but that was largely due to their superior starting numbers.

Now, the remnants of the Rendili defence fleet were in tatters, attempting one final push against the non-mobile platforms. Each successive push becoming harder and harder as Imperial strike teams boarded the stations and reactivated their defences, turning them against the increasingly depleted defence forces.

Nesdev heard Dorn call out that they'd cleared the skirmish behind them. It was just in time he supposed, he'd spotted some targets with his HUD. A small flotilla of shuttles and gunships picking their way through the battlefield debris towards one of the stations. He marked them on the battle net as priority targets in case any other fighters managed to fight free and join them.

"Alright you two, I see a landing party making for the station up ahead, let's see if we can fend them off, eh? See-nine can you reroute any power to shield?"

The little droid tootled a confirmation, and he saw the shield readouts register the improved charge. He just hoped they held this time. The gunships and shuttles were well armed, but slow and unwieldy, a low risk target. In theory.

He took his fighter into a dive, and prayed they didn't pick up the attention of any more enemy fighters.

* * *

 **Middle of Nowhere**

 **Just Off the Perlemian Trade Route**

 **Near Lantillies**

The holoprojector cooled as the call ended, it's surface dimming from a bright electric blue to a faded black. For the moment, Shaak TI and Aayla remained still, staring at it quietly as they considered all that had occurred thus far.

Aayla, for her part, was uncertain just what Shaak Ti was thinking at the moment, her thoughts and emotions tightly controlled while she pondered. Aayla was herself feeling a fair amount of shock. She hadn't been expecting the promotion to the rank of master. After so long being denied time after time, she'd largely given up on the prospect. Masters Tiin and Ki Adi Mundi had been particularly vocal in their rejection of the idea.

Shaak Ti finally shook her head, clearing it of her thoughts, "I'll set course for Kuat, you may wish to inform our…passengers where we are taking them."

Aayla nodded slowly, coming out of her own reverie, "Yes, of course, and I suppose I should see if Harry would be willing to help with the matter of Senator Amidala. I would be surprised if he isn't, but it'd probably be best to ask first."

The togrutan Jedi nodded amiably, unfazed by the reply, "I can handle things here, if you'd be so good…Master Secura." She said, her voice slightly amused.

Aayla offered a smile in return before turning and exiting the cockpit. She made her way back through the ship and then down onto the primary crew deck. It was there, in the primary mess, that she found Harry, Hermione and Barriss.

From what she overheard as she approached they were explaining the basics for the first steps of Occlumency to Barriss who judging by her tone was intrigued by the concept.

They didn't acknowledge her arrival immediately, and she knocked after a moment to garner their attention. She smiled at their apologetic looks before speaking up, "Master Ti and myself have just spoken to Master Yoda. We're setting course for Kuat."

Harry looked thoughtful, rubbing his chin as he pondered that, it was Hermione however who put voice to her curiosity first, "Kuat, isn't that the name of the planet with the big shipyards you told us about earlier?"

Aayla nodded, "Yes, apparently they're setting up a rallying point for the Jedi there. However, there's another matter…" Here she paused looking from Harry to Barriss. "A friend of the Jedi Order, Senator Amidala, has been injured. She's being brought to Kuat for medical care, but Master Yoda felt it would be good if she were to see a healer as well."

Barriss shifted uneasily, "I'm not certain the Senator would be comfortable with me as her healer…given her closeness with Ahsoka."

Aayla dipped her chin, conceding the point, "Master Ti has some healing skill as well, and hopefully we'll be ale to make use of another Jedi healer if they're rallying there…"

Apparently Harry had caught her hint, "You're wondering if I'd be willing to lend a hand aren't you?" He asked baldly.

"Yes, though we don't want to force you if you do not wish to do so," She assured him.

He waved that off negligently, "It won't be a problem. If she's a friend of your order, it'd probably be for the best I help her out. Just—we should be cautious going forward who knows about our abilities."

At her raised brow he explained, "You have to understand, back home we are very careful about who knows about our kind. What you'd refer to as Force sensitives. Ideally, we'd have been just as careful here." Harry said, getting an agreeing nod from Hermione.

"We stepped in with you and revealed ourselves because it was a life or death scenario, and it was the right thing to do, but…well, if you recall, we do have our own mission to see to here." He finished, shrugging somewhat uncomfortably.

Aayla understood, "But you fear just how involved you'll become with everything if you show off your abilities too often, correct?" At their small nods of agreement she felt a small pang. She found herself regretful that at some point these two might be forced to move on.

"Well, for my part I am very grateful for the help you have given us so far," Aayla said smiling sadly. "I hope that you'll at least stick around long enough for me to repay you as we agreed. I still need to teach you two more about how to read and write Basic, and how to touch the Force like Jedi do."

Harry smiled in amusement at his bushy haired friend who was looking conflicted, her desire for more knowledge clearly warring with her sense of caution and practicality. "When can we start on that? And what about learning to read the language? I feel like that will be really important! I mean—" Hermione said, cutting herself off and looking embarrassed by her own eagerness.

Aayla smiled fondly at the pair now, "Actually right now would work fine for me. Unless you two have some prior commitments?"

The pair shared a look before glancing to Barriss, who gave a shrug. "Barriss is about ready to start her meditation to find her core. I'm not really necessary in that process now that I've explained it to her." Hermione ventured thoughtfully.

"I can handle that much I think, if I have any questions I'll be sure to ask." The former Jedi stated firmly.

Aayla nodded in satisfaction. "Then why don't we begin?"

* * *

 **Near Orbit Rendili**

 **Rendili System**

Nesdev despaired, the fighter he was sitting in was the only remaining member of Black Lancer Squadron, the others having been picked off one by one throughout the battle. Each selling their lives dearly against their Imperial counterparts.

He had to fight back angry tears as he watched the Imperial Fleet taking up positions over his homeworld, bombarding the planet below. Many of its most populous cities already burning. He knew the planetary government had already ordered the people into the shelters or out into the countryside, but countless millions were likely still trapped within the cities.

The Rendili Defence Fleet had been shattered, its remnants gathering together for one final push against the Imperials. They'd lost the vast majority of their remaining capital ships in an attempt to avert this attack on the surface, resigning themselves to the fact they could not knock out any more of the remaining orbital platforms. They'd simply lost too many ships and crews to make another sally against the objective.

Still, they'd managed to do a great deal of harm to those remaining few before they had been forced to reprioritize their targets. Even those that remained intact would almost certainly require extensive maintenance before they were functional again.

They couldn't win this, the survivors knew that, but they had to do _something_.

"All Rendili Forces, command of the fleet has been moved to the _Indomitable,"_ A voice reported over the comms, and he winced, that meant the Admiral's command ship had been among those lost. "As such we are ordering a full retreat. All ships form up and make a push for jump point Besh."

He immediately complied, but he wasn't alone in noticing the enemy formation maneuvering to place itself between them and the jump point. They were in no shape to challenge the enemy formation: a pair of Venators and a lone Imperator class Star Destroyer and their escorts. They almost certainly had a greater collective tonnage to the enemy, but their ships and fighters had taken a beating and none of the ships in their fleet matched any of those ships for raw firepower.

"All ships, we can't take the enemy formation in a straight up fight, orders are to push through the enemy formation at full burn and jump out as possible, destination is Kuat," The voice on the comm reported.

Nesdev watched from the rear of the Rendili formation as the fleet accelerated towards their enemies. Cringing as waves of incoming fire impacted against them causing detonations across their hulls and shields. A pair of Charger frigates exploded in the opening volley and he had to swerve hard to avoid the debris rocketing through space.

It was only as they closed within a dozen kilometres of the enemy ships that the voice on the comm returned. " _Indomitable_ has taken a hit on her hyperdrive, she can't jump," The voice said, an eerie calm present in their speech. "All ships, keep pressing for the jump point. Good luck, and may the Force be with you."

It was only then that he saw the _Indomitable_ , a dreadnought heavy cruiser pull ahead of the rest of the formation, its engines glowing painfully bright as it accelerated at full burn towards the enemy. It took a moment for him to grasp just what they were planning, and a moment later he could tell the Imperials saw it as well. The weapons fire from the enemy capital ships which had up until then been evenly distributed across their fleet focused on the ailing cruiser.

Explosions rocked the smaller vessel, shredding its armour in great gouts of flame. But the ship's mass and inertia were too great to halt. The Imperator at the heart of the enemy formation listed hard as it tried to maneuver out of the oncoming ship's way.

In later days it would be noted that this was likely the only thing that saved the _Executrix_ from immediate annihilation. The _Indomitable_ catching her in the side rather than head on. The two ships came together with a mighty crash, which Nesdev could have sworn he felt despite the great void of space between them.

The _Indomitable_ was dead, its bent and wrecked carcass, twisted deep into the larger ship's side, but the Executrix was little better off, the majority of her port side a mass of torn metal and flaming debris as it lurched before drifting, dead in space as it lost power.

With their command ship broken and their formation scattered in the effort to evade the now fallen ship, the Imperials could not prevent the remaining Rendili fleet from passing through them to the jump point.

Nesdev, and indeed none of the survivors would forget the _Indomitable's_ sacrifice. All told, five heavy cruisers and eight frigates had escaped, along with close to a hundred fighters.

Rendili was lost, but the victory was pyrrhic at best for the Empire, which had just gotten a taste for what desperate people could achieve if their cause was great enough.

* * *

 **Imperial Shuttle**

 **En Route To Coruscant**

The now _Emperor_ Palpatine was missing something, something important, and whatever it was it was disrupting his plan in ways he'd never anticipated. Whatever it was, it was centred around the Jedi Aayla Secura, and something that had happened on Felucia. Which baffled him, why Felucia? To his knowledge he was the only being in existence who had all the details of the Great Plan which had been in the making for millennia, so how was it that the Jedi had known enough to prepare a defence, who could have warned them?

He was pondering on this mystery, and others, as he stood gazing down at the charred body of his newest apprentice. That was another thing which had not gone as planned. He had never expected Skywalker to be defeated in such a way, beaten by his former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not that Skywalker was in any shape to tell him just what had happened. It was only his own Force senses telling him of Kenobi's fading presence that told him some of what had occurred.

Vader was more powerful than Kenobi, his connection to the Force nearly unparalleled. Something Sidious had always known would mean he'd need to keep a close watch on his new apprentice. So how had his weapon been defeated so? It made no sense; had Kenobi merely been lucky, had the Force favoured Kenobi for some unknown reason? Or perhaps it was something else. Arrogance perhaps, causing the newly christened Darth Vader to underestimate his former master's skill?

Regardless, the results were the same, his apprentice was…no longer the man he'd been before the battle, and Sidious needed to adjust his plans accordingly. They were already en route to his private medical centre on Coruscant. Once there they could suitably stabilize him for a time, but the Emperor already knew that additional measures would need to be taken to ensure Vader's survival…and continued usefulness to his plans.

He already knew of a number of prosthetics and life support systems that could be used to this end. Many of them _modified_ versions of ancient Sith designs from the old Empire. Had his other plans come to fruition more satisfactorily he might have approached these possible procedures differently. Utilizing intentionally flawed and painful designs to strategically hobble his new apprentice, so the younger Sith would be a lesser threat.

Now however, with more and more reports of escaped Jedi and less than successful offensives coming in, he'd need to rethink those notions. After all, he'd need a formidable weapon to wield against his foes. Vader could most certainly still fulfill that role…if he survived.

Sidious growled angrily under his breath, if the boy had not been so clumsy…He shook that off, such anger had its place, but this was not such a time. His own former master had been careful to instil that sense of timing into Sidious. Plagueis had been a master of harnessing his rage as a weapon, but he'd been even better at utilizing his keen intellect.

Something about that reflection brought Sidious up short. _Now, there was a thought,_ he mused to himself, a small deadly smile quirking his lips. _Yes, that might work nicely._ He was not the master of science and Sith Alchemy that his former master had been, not yet anyways, but he still possessed a working knowledge of several of the life saving _techniques_ that Plagueis had designed.

He'd have to wait until they reached Coruscant to start such obscure rituals, but at least now he had a plan to ensure his apprentice's survival…and continued obedience.

That still left him with his _other_ problems however. Particularly that brought to light by the betrayal of Kuat. A system he had been certain was firmly under his thumb. The newborn Empire had many shipyards even now, but none were of the scale of Kuat. Not even Fondor, which was perhaps the next closest could match that world for sheer production power.

Hence his desire to claim Rendili's shipyards. Particularly the mobile assets which he could have redirected to Fondor to further multiply its own capabilities.

Unfortunately, Rendili had put up more of a fight than expected, and Admiral Tarkin had been overconfident in his own capabilities. He'd been hard pressed to refrain from using the Force to snuff the life from his failed servant, but he'd managed. Despite his failure to secure the mobile platforms and the loss of his flagship, the _Executrix,_ when it had been rammed by a Rendili cruiser, Tarkin was useful and highly influential in military circles. Wasting that potential in a fit of pique would be unconscionably stupid. No, he still had uses for the man.

The other remaining issue of note was figuring out just how Jedi Secura had discovered his plans. If there was some leak, some spy or disgruntled underling who had caught wind of some of his efforts and then chosen to betray him to his enemies, then he'd need to see it taken care of. Permanently.

He was stirred from his thoughts by the arrival of one of the clones who had accompanied him, "My Lord, we've entered Coruscant orbit, we will be arriving at the medical centre shortly."

He nodded, his lips drawn in a thin, grim line, "Very good Commander. Prepare your men to move Lord Vader."

The man saluted, "Yes my Lord. As you command."

Yes, the Emperor speculated as he stared at his fallen apprentice, it was undeniable that his plans had met unexpected stumbling blocks. That did not mean he was beaten however, far from it. The galaxy was within his grasp, it just hadn't accepted it yet. And when it did, when all resistance to his rule had been swept away, he would be unstoppable. After all, how could it be otherwise?

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thank you to HowInMadHowie and Temporal Knight for their beta assistance!


	13. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** Sorry if this one's shorter than you'd hoped for. It may be a while before I can update again, September shows signs of being a very busy month for me. On another note, for those of you who missed it, I posted a 'Proof Of Concept' chapter for a Warhammer 40k idea I had and a rewrite for A Witch, A Wizard And A Mechanic. If any of you are interested in those sorts of things please feel free to take a look.

* * *

 **Republic Frigate**

 **En Route To Kuat**

"We're coming up on Kuat, anyone who wishes to see our arrival would be best served to make their way up to the cockpit," Came Shaak Ti's voice over the intercom, surprising the occupants of the ship's mess hall.

"Already?" Harry asked, surprised. They had been alternating between studying Galactic Basic and practicing following the magic in themselves which flowed from outside. A process Aayla described as "Opening oneself to the Force". Both subjects were interesting, particularly to Hermione, but Harry had been enjoying himself as well.

Aayla smirked in amusement, as they pushed to their feet. "It has been most of the day Harry, we even skipped lunch to continue studying. Kuat is, galactically speaking, not all that far from where we were before. On some large and clear hyperspace routes."

He hadn't realized just how much time had passed, he must have been more involved in their studies than he had realized!

The three of them, Barriss remaining behind to continue her own practice with occlumency, made their way up to the cockpit. They arrived just in time to witness the transition from hyperspace to normal space *****. The blue vortex of hyperspace giving way to first the stream of stars, then to a vision of normal space as they decelerated. A planet rapidly expanding to fill the window.

What now lay beyond the window almost literally dropped Harry's jaw. A large green blue orb which was remarkably Earth-like in appearance. That wasn't what caused his sense of awe however, and at first Harry didn't understand just what it was he was seeing. A great silvery circle wrapped around the planet, in an enormous ring. It was only as he spotted the ships coming and going from it that he finally comprehended it.

The planet of Kuat had an artificial ring entirely encircling it above its equator, an enormous space station. "Welcome to the Kuat Drive Yards," Aayla murmured beside him, sliding him an amused look when he glanced her way. "Believe it or not the ring station only represents a portion of the KDY themselves."

He nodded as more and more of the other details present began to register. Around the world orbited hundred, possibly thousands, of stations of various configurations. Many, the spider web like gantries of what he'd come to recognize in time as drydocks and refitting slips. Others, enormous hemisphere-like constructs bedecked with construction apparatus or starburst shaped platforms of unknown purpose.

A voice emanating from the ship's control board startled him from his observations. "Unidentified Charger frigate. This is Kuat Control, identify yourselves and purpose here," Came the brusque instructions.

Shaak Ti leaned forward and pressed a blinking icon on the control interface. "Kuat Control, this is Jedi Master Shaak Ti. Identification code being sent now. We're here to rally with the other Jedi," She said calmly, quickly typing out the code and sending it to the person on the other end of the conversation.

There was a pause, but the voice soon returned. "Identification confirmed. Apologies for the delay Master Jedi, it's good to see someone else has made it back to us. Forwarding you directions to the rally point, please do not deviate from the specified course."

She nodded absently to herself, "Understood Kuat Control, setting course now."

The ship slowly veered away from the planet as they fell into the preselected course towards the rally point. Soon enough, Harry was able to see a cluster of shapes growing larger in the distance. It was a couple minutes before they were close enough for him to truly discern their forms.

The first, and most obvious of these forms was a space station of some kind, a truly massive one judging by the way it dwarfed most of the ships in proximity to it. However, there was also scattered about it a number of large asteroids and platforms with varying conglomerations of structures built into their surfaces.

If he were forced to describe the station itself Harry would have likened it to a large wheel or perhaps a massive cog. The main body of the station being a large circle-like construct with eight massive spokes radiating outward along its outer edge, as well as over a dozen smaller spokes interspersed between them. ******

As they got closer he took in a couple other features of note: First, he saw that there were dozens of smaller satellite platforms hovering at various points about the station. Second was that there were a pair of ships he recognized as Venator cruisers, such as those he'd witnessed on Felucia orbiting the platform with a number of less familiar, smaller vaguely wedge shaped craft.

Finally, however was the massive vessel sitting in the centre of the open, circular space at the station's heart. He found to his mild surprise that he actually recognized this vessel too after a fashion. He'd seen a couple vessels like it during their escape from Felucia, tumbling without guidance in the midst of the deactivated Separatist formation. A great broken circle with a large sphere in the centre, attached by a sturdy spar connecting to the section near the engines.

"What is that big ship in the middle?" He asked, pointing to it.

Aayla frowned slightly in thought. "A Lucrehulk battleship, one of the larger classes of ships used by the Separatists, don't know what it's doing here though. This is Republic space, not Separatist," She murmured back to him.

"Charger Frigate carrying Jedi Master Shaak Ti. This is Lagrange Point station Osk. If you'll release control to us we'll bring you in to dock momentarily. Please release underslung craft beneath you and we'll bring it in too," Came another voice over the speaker.

"Confirmed station Osk. Releasing underslung craft and control of the frigate," She responded before fiddling with the controls and then leaning back in her chair.

The ship began a slow graceful glide in towards the station a few moments later, after a dull thump echoed through the hull. The U-Wing disengaging to be flown into dock by computer control. It soon became apparent they themselves were being directed to a landing bay of some description on the ring's inner surfaces. The glowing aperture growing larger and brighter as they arced around the great ship docked in the station's centre.

The bay wasn't empty either, a number of ships, all of differing designs sitting within its illuminated interior. Harry wasn't sure what he expected, but he was almost surprised by the smoothness of their transition through the field over the bay's entrance. The ship not even shuddering as it passed through it.

In fact the only bump they felt was as the ship itself touched down on the dark grey deck plating of the bay. "Recognize any of the ships?" Aayla asked her Togruta friend.

Shaak Ti shook her head, "No, but I sense at least a few familiar presences in the Force. Master Yoda foremost amongst them."

Aayla nodded, "I felt him too, can't say I recognized the others as yet." At Harry and Hermione's questioning looks she explained. "Jedi have a distinct feeling in the Force…well, when they're not shielding at least. We're familiar enough with Master Yoda to recognize his presence easily. The others however are less distinctive."

Hermione perked up. "Is it like how we could see you with Magesight back on Felucia, even though we weren't in direct line of sight?"

Aayla looked at her questioningly, then shook her head ruefully, "Perhaps, I don't know enough about this 'Magesight' to tell you for certain. I will say that it's more like hearing a familiar song or sound, than it is 'seeing' anything. At least for me."

Hermione hummed understanding, then began muttering under her breath about needing to write some more notes when she got the chance.

Harry watched as various flight crew hurried about on the deck dragging hoses and cables up to their ship. A door opened on the far end of the bay and a figure began making its way towards them.

"And here comes the welcoming committee," Aayla murmured. "We'd better get down to the boarding ramp. It'd be impolite to keep them waiting."

* * *

 **Lagrange Point Station Osk**

 **Command Tower Reception Room**

Perhaps unsurprisingly it was Yoda who was first to become aware of the arrival of the party from Felucia. Being immersed in a meditative trance while the others discussed various matters of import around him. Indeed he was even aware their coming before the station's staff were, sensing their arrival moments after they dropped out of hyperspace.

There, not so far away really, were the familiar presences in the Force of Masters Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura. With them was the equally familiar presence of the former healer, Barriss Offee. It was the other two presences that caught his attention the most however.

Both were…clouded, almost semi-hidden from sight in a fashion reminiscent of Force Stealth, though with a distinctively different flavour in the Force. Whoever they were, he could sense they were there, likely because they did not know they were being observed and that they might need to raise their defences. Very little could be discerned through this occluding influence. But what he could make out was intriguing.

The first, radiated a sense of barely contained curiosity and intellect similar to Master Jocasta Nu. Someone who was ever on the search for new knowledge and understanding. An aura of compassion and wonder encompassing them. The second however was somewhat different, while there was a sense of intelligence and curiosity, it was somewhat more muted. The sense of power and protectiveness contained behind a thin facade was there for him to feel.

Yes, whomever these newcomers were, they were very interesting beings. He wondered just what part they had played in the events on Felucia. Regardless, soon enough they would be here and he could see for himself just who they were.

He came out of his meditative trance with a hum and shifted to regard those in the room around him. Bail and Breha stood away from him, murmuring quietly to one of the station's officers about where the ships arriving from Rendili were being directed to. Judging by the snatches of conversation he was catching, there was some debate as to whether or not the formation should be merged with another group.

A door opened at the other end of the room, admitting another man dressed in officer's grey into the room. "My apologies for interrupting Queen and Senator Organa. The group you anticipated have arrived and are en route to the station," He declared, coming to attention as he drew even with the group.

Yoda nodded absently to himself as he pushed to his feet and began to hobble towards the little group. Senator Organa taking it upon himself to respond to the man's announcement. "That is excellent news. If you could see them directed here upon landing, we have much to discuss with them."

The man nodded, "Of course Senator, I shall see to it personally." He said, before departing once again, this time taking the other officer with him.

The Organas turned to regard Yoda, "Have you…sensed anything about our visitors Master Yoda? I admit to some curiosity regarding them given what little I've heard."

Yoda nodded slowly, running a three digit hand over his head in thought. "Force users they are, though unfamiliar ones. Sensed their presences in the Force I have, and different; intriguing they are. Sense hostility I do not. Friends I hope they truly are."

The Queen regarded him shrewdly. "I was under the impression for years that Jedi were the only Force users of note in the galaxy. Yet in recent years they seem to be springing up all over the place. The Jedi, the Sith, The Guardians of the Whills, the Dathomiri Witches…"

The Grandmaster hummed agreement. "Uncommon they are, most preferring peace and solitude, but many traditions within the Force exist. All have a unique feeling to them. This pair, different they are from any I have encountered before," He smiled benignly at her. "Intrigued I am, and happy to be reminded that more to learn I still have."

"But where could they have come from, if you are not familiar with them? Felucia?" Bail asked, curiosity lighting his eyes.

The old Jedi shrugged. "Unlikely that is, familiar with Felucian shamans I am. Feel like those, these ones do not."

They settled into thoughtful silence for a time while they all digested what they'd discussed, and it was only a few minutes later that the door once again opened, allowing five figures into the room.

First, gliding gracefully into the room slightly ahead of the others was Master Shaak Ti. The tall Togruta woman, nodding regally to Yoda in greeting. Following her, only a step or two behind was Aayla Secura, the Rutian Twi'lek Jedi's gait sharper and crisper, but no less smooth than her compatriots.

It was the last three who produced the most reaction however. First were a pair of humans who Yoda was forced to overlook for the moment in favour of observing the reactions to the Mirialan who followed uncertainly in their wake.

It was proof of Alderaanian political skill and etiquette that there was no reaction from either the Senator or the Queen to this particular woman's presence beyond a slight wary tremor in the Force.

With that issue temporarily pushed aside his eyes once again fixed on the pair of unfamiliar newcomers, and he allowed himself to take them in properly.

The first, a male, was undoubtedly the more militant and protective presence he'd sensed from afar. He was slightly taller than the woman with him, dark hair, with startlingly green eyes which stared out from behind an anachronistic pair of glasses. He stood in a way that clearly suggested the ability and willingness to throw himself between a threat and his companion.

The woman, by contrast was peering around her companion curiously, her eyes quickly fixing on Yoda, before blinking in surprise. She was slight, with a distinctly bookish air to her, with somewhat wild hair that was drawn back in a rough knot behind her head. He could feel her curiosity quite clearly from across the room.

Yoda once again reached out with the Force, tentatively feeling for their presences, only to be surprised when they both straightened quickly, their presences suddenly winking out in the Force and the male's eyes fixed directly on his own. For a moment the aged Jedi thought the human would protest, but was pleasantly surprised when he merely raised a challenging brow at him before smiling thinly and nodding slightly in recognition.

Yoda pondered that reaction for a moment. His senses skimming over them in the Force had produced an immediate response, one which suggested he might have inadvertently violated some cultural norm or more he was unaware of. However after tracing his probing touch back to him, the human male had assessed him, silently calling him out on the action before acknowledging on some level that he had not intended harm.

That was interesting, few Force sensitives, could shield their minds to such an extreme that their presence entirely vanished in the Force. Indeed, even the former Chancellor, now Emperor, had only been able to shield his true self to the extent that he appeared unremarkable. These two however were able to vanish entirely!

"Glad I am, to see you before me today," Yoda said, bringing himself back to the present as the group drew even with them. "Sense I do, that a great many things which have thus far remained a mystery, shall soon become clear."

Aayla stepped forward and gestured to the pair of humans, "Master Yoda, it is my privilege to introduce Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who assisted me when times were most dire on Felucia."

Both humans offered slight bows, nodding their heads in greeting to those present.

"Yoda I am, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, and with me are Senator Bail Organa and his Queen, Breha Organa of Alderaan; of great help they have been to me in these troubled times," He said indicating the pair with him, noting the way the Harry and Hermione seemed to collect themselves stiffly upon realizing the import of the people present with interest.

"My thanks you have for the assistance you rendered to Master Secura. If not for your efforts a great disaster would have befallen the Jedi Order," He assured them.

Bail stepped forward, "Indeed, you have the thanks of the entire Republic for your aid to the Jedi. Without them, times might have become very dark indeed. Even still, the situation at hand is dire."

With formalities having been observed, Aayla nodded to the Senator, "We have heard some of what is happening via the Holonet, but the information is sketchy at best. If I may ask could you tell us some more about what is occurring?"

Yoda hummed, nodding his head, "Come at a worse time this Order 66 could not have. Spread thin the Jedi were, seeing to a number of battles in the Outer Rim. Difficult it was to get word to the Jedi taking part in these battles."

"Order 66, Master Yoda?" Shaak Ti inquired.

He nodded seriously, "Yes, know you do of the biochip implanted in the clones. Believe we do that this order when given, activates the implant overriding the clone's will. When given this order was, turn on us the clones did."

"Do we know anything _new_ about how or why the order was given when it was?" Asked Shaak Ti in return.

Yoda shook his head. "Know I do now that a number of Jedi attempted to ensure the Chancellor would step down when ended the Clone Wars did. Know also I do, that Anakin Skywalker approached them about an urgent matter before departing for the Senate building himself some time later. What truly happened there, none may know for certain."

Sighing Shaak Ti shook her head sadly, "I fear it would have been too late to stop the order going out because I only received the warning about the same time the Emperor was being confronted."

Aayla hesitated, stealing a quick look at Harry and Hermione and quietly shook her head, "Even if we had the time the consequences of stopping the order altogether could have been worse." She muttered quietly to herself, possibly unaware any had heard her. Yoda for his part wondered just what consequences she'd been referring to.

Shaak Ti and Aayla grimaced, before bobbing their heads in acceptance. "How many of our number survived?" Aayla asked.

"Many more than would have had you not warned us." Yoda replied, observing her with interest. "Manage to get word to many Jedi we did. Many have arrived here at Kuat already," He assured her.

Bail inclined his head at her, "My fellow Senators and I…well those loyal to the Republic at least, managed to aid many Jedi in fleeing Coruscant in light of the evidence provided to us by the Jedi. If not for that, who knows if enough of us would have defied the Chanc—Emperor and broken away?"

Aayla nodded, "We saw that on the Holonet. I was surprised at how many systems chose to break away. Still…it's so few compared to the many who remained with this new Empire."

"Not so alone are we as perhaps we could have been," Yoda mused. "While efforts to speak with the Separatist leadership have been in vain, some still resist the Empire. More it would have been had Skywalker not attacked their council at Mustafar."

This appeared to produce a reaction, Shaak Ti and Aayla registering shock while Barriss, still quiet in the background appeared dumbfounded. "A great tragedy it is that fallen so far Skywalker has. Defeated he was at Mustafar, but fear I do that the last of him we have not seen."

Shaak Ti raised a hand to stop him, "I'm sorry Master Yoda, but could you explain that a little to us, I'm afraid I feel like I've missed something."

Yoda nodded, suitably chastened, "Know the full details of what happened there I do not. Save that when Senator Amidala and Master Kenobi confronted Anakin on Mustafar after he had slain the Separatist council which had taken shelter there," He explained patiently. "Used their connection to the Separatist fleets he did to shut down their military might."

For the first time since arriving one of the strangers spoke. Harry jerking his chin in a nod, "We saw the Separatist fleet over Felucia, they were just floating there, nobody controlling them," He said. "It's been a few days since we were there though, has nobody reclaimed them yet?"

Bail shook his head. "No, save for a few isolated pockets. For now the Empire seems content to allow them to drift. Not surprising I suppose, the Emperor achieved his objective, he no longer needs them for his war."

The younger human frowned, "That still strikes me as odd." "Around the same time as the council's deaths it was," Yoda explained patiently. "Why it is, speculate we do that it was Anakin who used their command codes to deactivate the fleets."

"Without the Council, Grievous or Dooku to direct things, it is likely the Separatist leadership is too fragmented to organize any efforts to retake their forces," Aayla explained. "Intelligence during the war indicated the Separatist Senate was highly factionalized and it was only Dooku and the Separatist Council who could get them to organize in any meaningful way."

"No doubt just as the Emperor desired," Bail muttered.

Harry cocked his head considering, "About what time did the fleets go inactive?" He asked.

"Do you think those command codes would still be present there?" Harry asked. "I mean, why did the Emperor use it to disable their fleets and not take control of them?"

Bail shrugged. "We suspect it has something to do with how Anakin was confronted by Padme and Obi-Wan soon after. It's possible that the Emperor and his agents were too preoccupied with other matters to further utilize the codes."

Harry's eyes sharpened on them, and for just a brief moment Yoda felt the swelling of something important in the Force. "If those codes are still there, is there any chance the Republic might be able to use them to claim those fleets for themselves?" *******

There was a beat of silence, all present too startled by the implications of that, which was broken a moment later by a startled bark of laughter from Master Secura. She smiled shaking her head. "Saving the galaxy again, eh Harry?"

Bail collected himself before Yoda could enquire about that turn of phrase. "If you'll excuse me I believe I have something urgent to discuss with the Senator from Corellia, his agents are doubtless in a better position to check into that than ours are at present," He said before making for the doorway at speed.

"You said 'Saving the galaxy _again_ ," Murmured Breha. "Am I to take it then that our friend here played a large part in events on Felucia?" She asked after the door had closed behind her consort.

"It's…a bit of a long story," Harry replied, looking sheepish.

"Well, it seems that as we are still waiting on the arrival of Master Kenobi and Senator Amidala, we have something of an abundance of time," Breha returned calmly, a small smile quirking her lips. "When Bail returns we should retire somewhere more comfortable to discuss such things."

Harry nodded, "If I might ask, from how far away are they coming?"

Breha didn't seem bothered by the question. "Mustafar is far in the galactic south. It is likely that at the earliest they will be arriving early tomorrow."

He inclined his head in thanks, though Yoda noted that his companion had withdrawn a pad of flimsi and was writing something down on it in response to that information.

It was only a minute later that the Senator returned, "My apologies for my sudden departure, but every moment could make a difference when it comes to this." Bail said looking invigorated by the possible boon before them.

"I was just saying to them Bail, that perhaps we should retire somewhere more comfortable to continue our discussions," his wife informed him.

He nodded, "If they are willing, I heartily agree, there is much that remains a mystery in all this, and I feel that you might have many answers." Bail agreed shifting his attention to the newcomers.

To Yoda's mild surprise both of the other Jedi looked to the humans in their company first, deferring to their preference before voicing their own opinions.

For their part, the humans looked at each other, seeming to communicate silently though Yoda sensed no disturbance in the Force at their doing so. Perhaps they merely understood each other well enough that no actual words were required in this case?

Finally the woman nodded, "That'd be fine. Though we must warn you, much of what we're going to tell you cannot go beyond those present."

The Alderaanians were apparently unsurprised by this stipulation. "It will all be held in the strictest confidence," Bail assured them.

All eyes shifted to regard the Grandmaster at this point, and he found himself nodding slowly. "If regarding the safety of the Jedi Order it is, I can only promise so much. However endeavour to keep what secrets I can, I will."

The caveat in his reply resulted in more veiled looks between the humans before they nodded slowly in return. "We can work with that."

Breha smiled, ever the beneficent hostess, "Then let us adjourn to more comfortable places. If you will follow me?" She said, and they all fell in step behind her.

* * *

The suite set aside for use by visiting dignitaries was a vast improvement over the conference room they'd been utilizing before. Strictly speaking both were made with the same austere white panelling and grey deck plating. But where the first had been spartan in the extreme, the suites and the common area they were situated around, were lavishly decorated. A thick blue carpet covering the cold deck plating, thick comfortable couches and recliners had replaced the utilitarian plastoid chairs, and beautiful tapestries and banners hung around the room.

Upon entering the Queen waved regally to the guards posted about the space, "Please leave us, this meeting requires privacy." She said calmly. The guard captain, easily spotted by the silver and gold accents to his armour saluted before leading the others from the room.

Queen Breha led them to a circle of couches around a low table, situating herself and her husband upon one of them before waving to the others arrayed about them, "Please be seated so we can get to the truth of the matter."

Harry gave Hermione a silently questioning look, and she paused, clearly thinking for a moment before nodding. It didn't take legilmency to clearly convey their meanings between them. "Very well your majesty, although I must warn you, the truth of our presence here is stranger than most fiction you'd ever encounter."

The Jedi, and former Jedi, with them, save for Grandmaster Yoda had seated themselves on the couches. Perhaps it was because these couches were better suited to larger lifeforms, but the aged alien, who reminded Harry of a green house elf, remained standing, leaning heavily on his walking stick.

Harry drew his wand from its holster and conjured a small, appropriately scaled chair, beside Yoda who gave a small start at its appearance. He wasn't the only one. Bail and Breha both gasped in shock as well. Yoda recovered quickly however, and reached out a questing hand to feel at the fabric of this newly arrived piece of furniture. "Real this is, though not real as well. Fuelled, shaped, by the Force it is." He murmured, before tentatively taking a seat in it, shifting about a bit before settling and nodding his thanks to Harry, who had to give the aged alien credit for adapting quickly. "Even more curious this makes me. Look forward I do to your truth which is stranger than fiction."

Harry remained standing, though Hermione had taken a seat while he was preoccupied. He turned to regard the still stunned Queen and Senator. "My name is Harry Potter, my friend here with me is Hermione Granger. We come from a planet called Earth, and are what our people refer to as Magic Users."

Being openly addressed again allowed the pair of Alderaanians to collect themselves and Bail replied, after clearing his throat uncertainly. "Earth? I have never heard of such a planet, might I ask what system and sector it is in?"

Hermione spoke up here, "Truthfully, we do not know, and after I searched the maps aboard our ship I am inclined to believe that you won't find it on any map anywhere in this galaxy."

That brought them up short, Harry included, he hadn't been aware Hermione had found the time to peruse a Galaxy map for their home planet. Bail cocked his head curiously at her, "Can you explain that please Miss Granger?"

She nodded, "Simply put, this Galaxy has more galactic arms and is many thousands of lightyears greater in width than the Milky Way. Taking that evidence into account I have to say that this Galaxy is not our home Galaxy."

"I'm sorry, did you just say you're from another Galaxy?" Bail asked, before asking the obvious followup question. "How did you get here?"

Even Harry blinked at that statement from Hermione, but he cleared his throat and pressed on. "Er—yes, I suppose that makes sense, and we'll get to just how we got here in a minute. As I was saying however, we are part of a society of what you'd refer to as Force Users native to one of the hundreds of nations on Earth. Interestingly, the Force, or magic where we are from seems to be less naturally prevalent, however magic users, or Force sensitives are far more common. In Great Britain, our home nation, alone there were around ten thousand**** of us in that nation alone."

This caused a notable widening in the eyes of a certain green, alien, Jedi Master. "So many you say?" He said, before visibly restraining himself. "Hmmm. A strange place this world you speak of seems, for Force sensitives to be so numerous there…" Yoda shook his head, closing his eyes as he thought. "Strange it seems, unbelievable almost, yes, yet ring true your words do. So truth they may well be."

Harry nodded, "It can be strange certainly, and I understand your scepticism. However, coming back to the question of how we came to be here, that is mostly Hermione's doing."

His friend gave him what could only be classified as 'a look'. "While it is true that I did most of the research on the… _device_ that allowed us to come here, I would not say it was precisely my doing." She said, before turning her eyes back to those around them. "The device was an ancient magic—Force imbued archway kept in the research division of our Ministry back home. Previously, it had been thought passage through the archway resulted in instant death, as any who stepped through it did not return. However, I was able to make a breakthrough when studying the runes on the arch itself, and discovered it wasn't a portal to instant death as feared."

"It was a portal here, wasn't it?" Breha asked, surprising those present, and Harry had to credit her deductive reasoning. The Queen was clearly an intelligent woman.

Hermione nodded, "Yes—well, here as in this Galaxy. It actually dumped us on Felucia when we travelled through it."

"A grave risk it was you took, yet here you are, now of all times?" Yoda mused, tapping his clawed digit on his cane. "The will of the Force it may well be."

Harry considered that, then shrugged. "Our people do not see the Force in the same way you do, however I do know that some things are predetermined by something other than our own choices." He conceded.

Yoda nodded sagely. "Interested I would be, to speak of your people's ways. Very different they sound from those of the Jedi. But please, continue your story you should."

Harry nodded, "We only had time to set up our camp on Felucia before we started sensing some rather odd things. Sensations we later came to realize were Aayla casting her senses about through the Force."

Aayla indicated she wished to speak by leaning forward and catching Harry's eye. "I had been troubled much of that day, a strange sense of something in the Force I could not pin down. I feared a Separatist ambush, so I cast my senses about. Finding nothing, it was not terribly long after that I began to get brief glimpses or feelings of something in the Force around me. I was distracted for a time, by a battle against Separatist Forces, but the feeling just got more and more intense as time went on."

She indicated Harry should take over again with a small nod in his direction. "That was in all likelihood because we were shadowing her at that point, curious about this conflict we'd stumbled upon and the woman leading one of the armies. We lingered partially from curiosity and partially from caution, not wishing to perhaps give ourselves away by leaving too hastily."

Harry shook his head, "Something we did must have piqued Aayla's curiosity because she led a small patrol away from the formation, but not before one of her soldiers received a transmission. I didn't realize the significance of that message at the time, but I believe it was when her soldiers received the order to turn on her. They attacked her not far from our position."

Here Bail stopped them, "But that doesn't make sense, she warned the Jedi of the betrayal, how could she have done so if the order caught her by surprise like everyone else?"

Harry smiled thinly. "It'll make sense in a minute, please just bear with me a little longer." He requested.

Bail still appeared confused but accepted the request. Breha Harry noticed looked strangely calculating, her eyes dark as she considered something.

"We managed to rescue her, but not before she was gravely wounded, it took a good deal of time back at our camp to patch her up. All the while we were beset by visions, images of what was happening to the Jedi elsewhere. When she awoke and after we'd discussed what had happened, Aayla was understandably upset and impressed upon us the scope of what had just occurred." Harry explained patiently, before looking fondly to Hermione. "It was then that Hermione had a thought. Not unusual for her I assure you."

She smirked at his attempt at humour and shook her head. "The department I worked for in our government back on Earth studied many great and wondrous things. Some terrible things too, I confess, but great things as well. One of the departments there used to study the concept of time and magic's—the Force's affect on it."

Dawning comprehension began to show in the eyes of some of those gathered and she pressed on. "After an…incident in that department it was largely shut down, save for cleanup operations. However, one of the devices created to manipulate time on a small scale survive, albeit damaged."

Harry drew the broken time turner from his pocket, holding it up. He'd anticipated this topic coming up again in the near future. Hermione nodded to it, "That is—was, a time turner, it could, when functional, allow for transit back in time up to a period of a couple days. As it was damaged however it limited that time somewhat." Here she paused, and Harry noted all the eyes now fixed on the little device. "We'd initially brought it along for use in case of emergencies. However, when faced with what had just occurred I found I could not conscience withholding the opportunity to use it from Aayla."

"You travelled back in time, that is how you warned the Jedi." Breha murmured, clearly surprised to find herself speaking of such a thing.

"We did, only a few hours, just barely enough really," Aayla concurred. "We arrived at the Republic base on Felucia with barely any time to spare. We…overpowered the comm room's staff and sent our warning to the Jedi. The rest largely involves stealing a Republic ship, removing its transponder and then meeting back up at the appropriate time. You can likely guess the rest, we met up with Shaak Ti and Barriss some time later and then made our way here when the Imperials started to close in on us."

Yoda hummed, his eyes closed again as he pondered what they'd just heard. "Only truth do I sense in the Force from you, so truth it must be. Momentous this is, unprecedented…hmm. Grateful we are for your timely assistance, doomed we might otherwise have been."

Bail sat forward, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I need a moment to accept this, it is just all so unbelievable, time travel!"

Surprisingly it was Yoda who responded to this statement, "Unbelievable? Hrmhmmhmm," He chuckled to himself. "Perhaps, yet often it is said, that nothing is impossible with the Force as ones ally."

They sat in silence for a time digesting it all. Finally Breha spoke up. "I assume being forced to flee Felucia has rather complicated the question of returning home? If the portal to your world is there…"

Hermione shook her head, "Yes and no, you see while the 'portal' deposited us on Felucia, it was implied from my studies that returning would not be as simple as turning around and walking back through. We were, only mildly surprised when we found no corresponding arch on Felucia. We have something of a…quest, if you will, before us if we are to find our way home. Add to that the fact we are searching for someone who passed through the portal before us, and we may be here for a long time before we can return home."

The others gathered, save Aayla stared at them in shock. "You entered the portal knowing there was no guaranteed means by which to return home?"

"In essence yes, we always knew this was a step into the unknown." Hermione agreed.

Breha looked them over appraisingly, "You are very brave to attempt such a thing."

Harry chuckled, "Gryffindors," was all he said, though it produced a chuckle from Hermione in response.

The Queen eyed them inscrutably for a time before nodding acceptance, "Come, we shall request some food of the kitchens, perhaps we might discuss you and your world some more over dinner? I find myself curious about the place you described."

"That is most gracious, your majesty," Harry said. "If you would not mind however, there may be a couple matters we should see to aboard our ship before we eat. Would it be alright if we left for a few minutes before returning here to eat?"

The Queen seemed unperturbed by his request, inclining her chin regally. "It is no problem, it will take the cooks time to prepare a meal anyways."

Harry bowed slightly at the hips, and Hermione curtsied slightly, "We will be back shortly then."

Aayla and the other two who had been at Felucia made to follow them out, but she herself was stopped when a voice called out to her. "Master Secura, stay a moment would you? Desire to speak of a few matters I do."

* * *

 ***** Hyperspace is, according to the Star Wars wiki, an extradimensional plane used for faster than light travel, it is not merely travel at an incredible velocity. Thus the differentiation of 'real space' and hyperspace.

 ****** While far from identical to it, this station's aesthetic is 'inspired' by the Fondor Shipyard map in Battlefront II. Imagine it being of even larger scope than that shown in the game and a closed circle as opposed to broken/open. It also lacks some of the, er… weaknesses built into that station's design for gameplay purposes. After all, if you were going to design a dry dock in real life you'd be a lot more careful about which delicate structures you exposed to open void and potential strafing runs.

 ******* This idea was pioneered on FF by Plums.

 ******** Estimates of Wizarding Britain's numbers are varied. And most are frankly ludicrous simply in terms of the numbers required to create a sustainable population. A few are somewhat more reasonable, but do not take into account just how large the Ministry is in comparison to the nation it governs. In almost all estimates Wizarding Britain is egregiously top heavy. I considered an even larger number to balance this out myself, but chose to refrain somewhat in the interest of not stretching credulity to the breaking point.

 **Author's Note:** Hope you all enjoyed that. Thank you to my betas Temporal Knight, twilliams1797, Rimtuuk, HowInMadHowie and zcnk.


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